Penn and Blake
by DerenaTreeHill
Summary: A Penn and Blake fanfic for my Blakers :3 It's going to be as factual and realistic as I can make it, so the chapters will be based mostly around events that have happened or likely situations. Don't take it too seriously! Just a little something for Plake lovers to remind us of their adorable relationship!
1. The Party Here is Getting Blake, Lively!

"Blake! Blake! Over here!" Paparazzi screamed from every direction. It was the night of the Gossip Girl launch party. The new, fresh-faced cast were all out to promote and celebrate the release of their new show and _everyone _wanted a piece of the lead actress, Blake Lively.

Blake was 5'10; legs so long, you'd have to be standing thirty-five feet away to get all of them in a picture; gorgeous, long, golden hair, and a rack to die for. In other words, Blake was the typical California girl. So perfect, she could be packaged and sold as a Barbie.

She was dressed in an understated, black, fitted, Michael Kors pantsuit, over a white shirt and she had her bouncy curls cascading over her shoulders. Her co-star, Penn Badgley, wasn't quite as flawless as Blake, but this was probably one of the reasons he was so attractive. He was scruffy in a cool and handsome way. 5'9, short, black hair, awkward and edgy like he'd just stepped off a Rolling Stone cover shoot.

Coincidentally, Penn and Blake had been friends since childhood, and they used to home-school together, but nothing romantic had ever transpired between them.

Blake had been summoned to the side of the red carpet to do an interview with 'E!', when she heard shouting behind her, "Blake! Blake! Over the shoulder!"

She was already overwhelmed and now she was just confused as to why there were paparazzi behind her on the carpet and not on the other side of the barrier. She was still relatively new to this fame thing, even though her family were all in the 'biz.

She tentatively turned around to find Penn goofing off behind her, pretending to take pictures of her with his hands as a camera, shouting instructions to her. Blake gave him a blank, unimpressed look before bursting out into giggles and giving him a playful shove. "You jerk!"

She rolled her eyes and pulled him into her interview, "this is Penn. He's Gossip Girl… Spoiler alert!"

Penn gave her a smirk and went along with it. The two got carried away, joking around with each other, so much so that they practically ignored the interviewer. The interviewer watched them for a while, completely bemused and amused at the same time. "So, you two seem like you've hit it off already. I believe you've only been filming a couple of months?"

Penn replied, "Oh, no, I've had the misfortune of knowing this one since I was eleven. I've had a terrible childhood."

Blake raised an eyebrow, feigning offence. "Hey, just because I didn't let you play with my Malibu Stacy."

Penn kept a straight face and shook his head. "I can't believe you'd bring that up, Blake. That's a low blow."

Blake turned to the camera and sarcastically moved her hand across her neck as if to say 'cut'. The interviewer was struggling to keep it together, but luckily for her, Penn decided to leave Blake to it. "I'm sorry guys, I just… I can't… I have to be alone right now." He faked a sob and went to walk off, mouthing, "I'll see you inside." To Blake as he went past her. Blake finished off her interview alone and a little more professionally before heading into the party.

Inside the party, the cast and crew mingled with each other and the other guests, soaking up what was to become their new lives for the next six years. It was all pretty surreal, but they were all so close already and they were glad they got to go on this journey together.

The new Guitar Hero was being promoted at the launch and Blake, being Blake, had a word with the guy setting it up, to make sure she was the first to test it out.

Blake may look like your average blonde bimbo, but she'll surprise you: she was on track on to go to an Ivy; she was in show choir; she was class president; she didn't drink and she loved video games and football. She probably only seemed as intelligent as she did because people expected her to be so stupid. It worked in her favour and only added to her charm.

Penn was getting drinks at the bar with his other co-stars, Ed and Chace when Blake got everyones attention with the microphone. "Everyone over to the dance-floor to watch me rock 'Free as a Bird' on the new Guitar Hero! Who's gonna take me on?"

"Penn will!" Chace and Ed offered for him like schoolboys.

"Come on then, Penny!" Blake held out the other guitar for him.

Penn had recently confided in Ed and Chace about his feelings for Blake. They seemed supportive at the time, but every time they were around Blake, they'd tease him and try to drop hints.

Penn gave them a 'fuck you guys' look and took the guitar from her. "Let's see what you got, Lively."

The boys immaturely cracked up laughing, but Penn ignored them and started the game. As expected, Blake kicked his butt. Her competitive edge was a little too much for him. Penn was a pretty placid guy, but he found her enthusiasm cute.

Blake shooed him off the stage to make way for a new challenger. He joined the boys on the dance floor who were teasing him. "Seriously, mate, just tell her how you feel. You're driving us nuts, man." Ed said in his cockney, British accent.

"Yeah, other than the fact she's completely outta your league, you two are perfect for each other. Just tell her. It's getting awkward." Chace chimed in.

Penn felt a little ambushed. "You guys are _making_ it awkward! I've felt this way about her since I was like thirteen. It's never been an issue before. And, cheers, Chace. Thanks for the ego boost. Fucking Ken doll." Penn downed a shot of Patron to ease his nerves.

"Badge… don't be a pussy. Go get your girl." Ed added before disappearing off with Chace to go and scout for girls.

The party finished a little after midnight and the town cars were waiting outside for the cast, to take them back to the hotel they were all staying at together. Ed, Leighton, Blake , Chace and Penn got into the same car and Penn spent the journey lost in thought, with his eyes on Blake, who was too busy laughing and joking with Leighton to notice. The boys _did_ notice, but they decided to give him a break.

Back at the hotel, the gang said their goodnight's as they all went into their rooms. Penn's room was adjacent to Blake's, but that didn't exactly help at this point. What was he going to do? Knock on the adjoining door and ask to use her toilet? He still had the slight problem of having to tell her how he felt. The adjoining door might come in handy in future for late-night booty calls… ha ha ha…

Let's not get too ahead of ourselves…

Penn went into his room and changed into something more comfy before getting on the bed and idly flicking through the channels on the TV, mulling over his thoughts. He knew Ed and Chace were right; he had to tell her eventually, and it was better sooner rather than later- a girl like Blake wouldn't stay single for much longer. She was bound to end up dating a guest star if he didn't grow a dick and tell her how he felt.

Sure, it could turn out to be the worst thing in the world if she didn't feel the same. It would be a _long_ six years. But if all went well, it could end up being the best decision he'd ever made. He toyed with these ideas for a while, weighing up the pro's and con's when he heard a knock on the adjoining door.

Penn quickly sprung up and opened the door to Blake in her cute, pink pyjamas with Penny in one arm and a bunch of junk food under the other. "Hey, sorry… I couldn't sleep. Penny was driving me nuts. Wanna help me babysit? I brought snacks?" she batted her eyelashes and smiled a wide, cheesy smile- giving him no choice.

"Ahh sure. As long as there are snacks involved." He laughed a little and shut the door behind her. Blake made herself comfortable on his bed with Penny as she set down the food on the side table. "Are there any movies on?"

"Uh, well you just interrupted my pay-per-view porn…" he joked and plonked himself next to her on the bed. Blake rolled up the TV guide that was on the side and tonked over the head with it.

"You are gross." She laughed and then flicked through the guide, searching for something to watch while he just stared at her hopelessly, telling himself to just spit it out and say something.

"Blake…"

Blake looked up from the TV guide. "Mmhmm?"

"I've been meaning to tell you something for a while now…"

Blake looked at him nervously, waiting for a response before she felt her leg instantly heat up. "Oh, shoot, Penny!" she immediately hopped up off the bed, holding Penny away from herself. "Oh my God, Penn, I'm so sorry." She giggled.

Penn couldn't believe Penny's horrendous timing. '_**Fucking dog,' **_he thought to himself.


	2. I Love You

**A/N :**** Dedicated to the one and only Chiara ;) You can either blame or thank her for this chapter because I rushed it like crazy. I haven't even read it yet :L it probably makes no sense.. but anywaaay! It seemed like a cute idea at the time. :3 It's based around 1x13 (they were probably together by this time.. but stilllll)**

It was Monday, and the cast were all back at work, filming the mid-season episodes. 8am didn't sit well with Penn after the night he had. Who the fuck puts a launch party on a Sunday night? The show-runners were kind enough to let them have three more hours sleep than normal, but it still wasn't enough after having to clean up Penny's piss, barely seven hours ago.

* * *

After cleaning up Penny, Blake was out like a light, splayed out on top of Penn's duvet, leaving Penn unable to get underneath it without waking her up. He was a pretty laid-back guy and could deal with most things, but one thing that annoyed him to no end was sleeping without something over him. It didn't matter if it was ninety degrees- he'd _have_ to have a duvet over him. If it were any other girl, he'd have yanked the duvet from under her and made sure he got a good night sleep; but this wasn't just any other girl; this was _the _girl: Blake Christina Lively.

Penn got up off the bed and quietly crept over to the armchair in the corner of the room which had essentially become a clothes hanger, and he carefully sat in it, trying not to make any squeaks that would wake her up. He pulled up the foot-rest and rested his legs on it as he lay back in the chair, watching over a dreaming Blake. He pulled out a woolly sweater that was behind his back, hanging over the chair and he put it over himself. He was just about to shut his eyes when he saw Blake make a slight movement as she grumbled something inaudible and unconsciously rubbed her hand over her bare arm.

Penn decided she probably needed a blanket more than him, and he slowly got up, crept over to the bed and very gently laid the sweater over her perfect, peaceful body.

Still asleep, she brushed her cheek against the warm sweater, and there was something so child-like and innocent about the way she did it that triggered a smile to break across Penn's face as he watched over her, protectively. He gingerly brushed a strand of hair from her face with the back of his finger and then murmured, "Good night, pretty girl… I love you." Before returning back to his armchair and falling asleep, wishing it was as easy to say to her when she was awake.

* * *

Penn needed a lot more coffee and time in make-up than usual to wake him up for the long day ahead. He used this time to read over his lines again- most of his scenes today were with Blake, which could be looked at as a great thing or a terrible thing. Normally, on set, he and Blake would have the best time; it never felt like work. They'd just laugh and joke all day, (and he'd get to kiss her, which was a nice perk) but he was now becoming increasingly more anxious around her, knowing how close he'd been getting to telling her how he felt.

It was 10am and Blake came bounding into the boys hair and make-up trailer, throwing her arms over Penn's shoulders from behind while he was sat down, looking at her in the mirror. "Penn! Come on, Princess. How is it that you took longer than me today?"

He screwed up his face at her in the mirror. "Rough night. Someone stole my bed."

Blake gasped sarcastically, covering her mouth. "Oh no! You really ought to be more careful with your adjoining door. You just can't trust your neighbours these days."

Penn rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself. "Come on then, bed-burglar. Brace yourself for a whole day with the Badge. Let's get to work."

They both headed out the trailer and on to set to film their scenes. A few hours later, they had to shoot a scene in the quad at Constance/St Jude's- a scene that Penn wasn't exactly looking forward to:

"Pick it up again from _'how can I know that?'_… action!"

Blake got back into character, "how can I know that?"

"Because I gave you my word… because I love you."

"Cut! Penn, I know Dan's supposed to be nervous, but you're stiffer than wood right now. Just loosen up a little."

'_**I**__**s he fucking joking?**__** Okay… you're Dan… It's just Dan.'**_

"how can I know that?"

"Because I gave you my word… because I love you."

"Huh?"

"I love you. And not just because I thought you were pregnant. And not how you love some random guy who picks up your lit papers and a girl who likes your hair." Penn took a breath, relieved he managed to say the whole line without being sick.

"Okay."

"Okay? That response is not okay." Penn walked out of the quad and out of shot of the camera. He rested his back against the wall in the school hallway, _**'That's totally how she's gonna react when I tell her. What if that's how she reacts?' **_He rubbed his face with his hands to calm his panic before telling himself to man up and reappearing back into quad, all smiles and jokes as normal.

Later on, the last scene of the day, Penn and Blake were on set in the Humphrey loft. Blake looked gorgeous with her long blonde hair, down and wavy over the shoulders of her beautiful blue coat. Penn looked cute and boyish in a blue, checked shirt and he was excited to get this scene over with. He was planning it as a sort of dress rehearsal for his real-life attempt.

"Action!"

"I love you because you make no apologies about being exactly who you are… beautiful, smart, sexy as hell." Penn smirked to himself, knowing that she didn't know he wasn't even acting this scene.

Blake smiled a shy smile, "Now you're embarrassing me."

"That's another reason. You're completely unaware of your effect on me. You're also completely unaware that you laugh like a four year old."

They both giggled together, just improvising and reacting off each other. Penn had always joked about Blake's adorable laugh. He had definitely loosened up and was actually kind of enjoying himself. If this is how it panned out when he did it for real, it was going to be pretty damn special.

They finished the scene with a slow, passionate kiss before Serena left. Penn held on to her lips for as long as he could, imagining how it would be when he would finally be able to kiss her for real, whenever he wanted.

"Cut! Perfect, Penn. Brilliant. Very believable. And Blake, gorgeous as always. I think we have our scene, guys, it's a wrap. Well done today. Go home and get some rest!"

Dress rehearsal over…here goes nothing:

Penn walked over to Blake who had her palm up for a high five. He slapped her hand with a light laugh. "Good jawb, Blake. Good jawb." He said in his most exaggerated American accent.

"Thanks buddy!" she smiled happily and took Penny from one of the assistants who was dog-sitting for her. "Hey, how good does your bed sound right now?"

Penn raised an eyebrow cheekily. "Are you propositioning me?"

Blake giggled. "Shut up, you. No! I just meant, you must be tired. It's been a _long_ day. Don't worry, I'll make sure no one steals your bed tonight." She winked and picked up her bag. "You comin'?"

"Uh, yeah. You hungry?"

Blake gave him a 'stupid question' look. "When am I _not_ hungry?"

Penn chuckled as he held the car door open for her. "Yeah, that's a point. So what's it gonna be? A Blake date, or a _date_ date?"

"Hang on a minute, who said anything about a date?" she teased.

"Well, are you hungry or not? Offer's on the table. Take it or leave it." Penn countered back with a smirk.

Blake rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "Blake date it is. Burgers?"

Penn dramatically put his hand over his heart and pretended to be love-struck. "Perfect! I couldn't think of anything more romantic."

The two exchanged a long glance through the corners of their eyes with wide smiles as they sat side-by-side in the back of the town car, on the way to their 'Blake date.'


	3. Is It Meant To Be?

A/N: Okay, I'm sorry it took so long and right now I'm actually late for school.. shtititiit ,,.. so erm there's probably a few mistakes... Chiara, dont kill me for being late... also.. the song this chapter is based on is actually an album by Chester See, called NIKI. I just thought it was so perfect for Penns feelings at this point...except the ending of Penn and Blake's situation is better than Chester's :L anywya, i know I used way too much lyrics in this chapter, so I'm sorry. omg Im so late. BYEEE. ((Notes while I'm not in such a rush: I know this fic is M-rated, but I don't want it just to be about that because this is Plake we're talking about! :P But it will come soon and therefore, that's why I had to make it m-rated. I read your comments so let me know what you like or what you want, or both! I'll do my best to make my next chapter longer for you guys as well.))

"_**I don't wanna tell you that I long to see your face. I'm scared it might scare you away. And I don't wanna tell you that sometimes I think of you and smile, 'cause time with you is time enough for now. I don't know how long I can stick around and be just another friend. Time and time again I hold my tongue. I don't know how long before it breaks me down inside and all my strength has gone away and it's too late before I say, I'm falling for you. I'm trying hard to be myself, but I always seem to fail. Afraid I'm not the guy you know so well. 'Cause every time I'm near you, I seem to lose my head. I spend my time admiring instead. But I don't know how long I can stick around and be just another friend…"**_

They walk side-by-side down the street, on the way to their 'Blake Date' and Penn almost wishes Blake wasn't wearing a coat so he could pull her in or give her his to warm her up. She's talking about something funny she saw earlier, but he's not listening; he's smiling as he admires her angelic face. He's lost in her eyes as they walk. He can see her lips move, but all he's hearing is an unfinished song he's been writing: _**"It's been so long, I've never said a thing. So scared of what she thinks or what the future brings. If I speak up now will I be losing out? 'Cause I don't wanna jeopardize the time we have, but I've been going mad with all the time that's passed. So, tonight's the night I finally speak my mind. She opens up the door; we've got plans to eat. I better start this speech before we even leave, because if I don't…I know I won't. I've got some things to tell you, but they're hard to say, and it's been that way since I first saw your face… I look her in the eyes…she's not surprised. I start to get the feeling that it's just not meant to be…the silence screams my uncertainties… she doesn't say a word but leans in for a hug and it's almost enough to know it's one-way love and then she pulls away, and she starts to say…"**_

He was stuck on the ending of the song, playing different possibilities over in his mind, completely consumed by his fears before he saw her stop walking and stand still.

"Uh…Penn_, hello?" _She gave him a funny look and clicked her fingers in front of his vacant face.

He blinked and faked a laugh as best he could. "Sorry. I was completely out of it. So, you were saying…"

Blake was pretty sure he hadn't heard a word of what she'd been saying, so she decided to ignore his offer to continue. "Are you okay? You're acting really strange." She said with an amused look on her face.

"Uhh…" He looked at her, still petrified. '_**come on, Penn. This is your shot.'**_

Blake was starting to get a little worried. "Penn, seriously, are you having a stroke?"

He couldn't help but laugh, even through his nerves. Was he really stuttering that badly?

"Shut up. No! Just hungry. Come on, Dr. Lively, before I die!"

"_Okay. _Whatever you say, weirdo." She nudged him playfully and they headed into the small burger place a few blocks further down the street. Penn tried to push the thoughts to the back of his mind and pay full attention to her to avoid any further embarrassment. He hoped the words would come a little more willingly over dinner.

They got to the burger place and ordered their food. Penn, ever the gentleman, paid for their meals and then thought he'd extend his chivalry to pretending to pull up her chair for her… a chair that was fixed to the ground…

Blake just stood there, looking at him, lost for words for some reason. She had this irremovable smile on her face. She subtly shook her head before she sat down. She wasn't really sure what just happened, but she knew something did. This wasn't anything too out of the ordinary for Penn; this was his typical cheesy gesture, but this wasn't a typical feeling she got. It felt like something took over her body when they locked eyes, and it was now _she_ who was feeling a little uneasy around _him._

She took a fry and started aimlessly dipping it into her barbecue sauce, staring into the pot, daydreaming.

Suddenly, she felt a fry hit her face and she blinked back into consciousness. "Jesus, Penn!"

"Jesus? Where?"

They both cracked up laughing and she threw a fry back at him, gaining disapproving looks from other diners, but neither of them cared. The pair continued eating and joking around with each other, only taking a breath from laughing to chew their food. Blake loved the way she could banter with Penn; she was so competitive in every way that it was nice to have someone who could keep up with her, especially on an intellectual level. Penn pushed her to want to be better because he was so talented and smart, even if he was terrible at Guitar Hero.

Once the jokes had died out, Penn finally started on his burger, after finishing all his fries; Blake did the same, but the other way round. Ying. Yang.

"_**Tonight's the night I finally speak my mind…"**_

"Blake…"

"_Yep?" _She replied in a silly voice.

"Okay, fuck it."

Blake let out a little giggle, "excuse me? Fuck what?"

"No…I…I mean…fuck…" Penn screwed up his face as if he was straining for the words to come out. Grabbing at the air with his fists, the way he did when he forgot his lines on set. Blake was sat there, bewildered, munching on her fries while she awkwardly waited for him to pipe up.

"Okay, so, what I was trying to say is: fuck going about this the normal, conventional way, 'cause face it, I'm not."

Blake was still confused; it had been a long day and she hadn't managed to figure out his odd behaviour yet, even though he was silently begging her to. "Go about what? Eating your food? Yeah… Seriously, who eats their fries first?"

"No…not exactly. Look, Blake, I'm about to tell you all the reasons why I'm crazy in love with you, so to save me the embarrassment, if you wanna hear them, take a bite from my burger…if not…eat one of your fries and pretend you didn't hear what I just said…Oh my God, I sound like a dick." Penn blabbed nervously and then he looked as though he were waiting for a telling-off by a teacher.

'_**I finish what I'm saying, but it's hard as hell, 'cause I can already tell that it's not going well… I start to get the feeling that It's just not meant to be…"**_

Blake sits there, stunned silent for the longest few seconds. She knows it's not fair to Penn to keep him waiting, but she had to let it sink in first. It was hardly the most romantic move of the century, but it was so genuine, and so Penn. She stared into his eyes before she tentatively got up, went over to his side of seats and sat down beside him.

'_**She doesn't say a word but leans in for a hug, and it's almost enough to know it's one-way love. And then she pulls away, and she starts to say…"**_

"I've _really_ been wanting to try your burger." She laughed softly and smiled an adorable wide smile and took a bite before facing him again.

Penn just looks at her a bit unsure, like, _'was that a yes or did you actually just want my burger?'_

She reassures him with a sweet smile as she takes his hand under the table, on his knee.

The relief washes over him and a smile appeared on his face. He was sure it would remain there as long as she was by his side. "Blake… you're amazing."

She blushes and smiles at the floor; she's always been shy by nature, even though she's an actress. Part of her almost didn't want him to tell her all the things he loved about her, because she was so bad at taking compliments.

Penn stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, aware that she was getting uncomfortable, which was the last thing he wanted her to feel. This moment was supposed to be special. Burger bar wasn't exactly the ideal scenery… Good job, Penn.

"How about we go somewhere a little less…beefy?" He stood up, holding her hand, waiting for her to get up too.

They both walked back up the street, towards the hotel. This time, hand in hand. The night sky was in full effect and street-lights lit up their path, almost as if the spot-light was only on them. Blake was completely taken by surprise, so she was still processing it all, but not once did the smile leave her face. She'd always said, "New York can romance me just as much as any man ever could." She wasn't sure which it was at this point, but she knew Penn was playing a pretty big part.

Penn knew it couldn't be any more perfect; he had the girl of his dreams under the gorgeous New York sky. Their fingers were intertwined as they walked. He took it all in with a deep breath because he knew his list of reasons wasn't short.

"I love your young, free-spirit. Your innocence just makes it impossible to not be happy around you. You remind me that it ain't so bad. And I love you for always seeing the bright side. I love your beautiful mind. I love how you question me on every little thing and how you challenge me. I love how you always manage to surprise me, no matter how well I think I know you. There's nothing that warms my heart more than that little laugh of yours. I love the way you smile at the floor when you're feeling shy, just like you are now. And I love that awkward smile you're gonna have when I tell you how unbelievably beautiful you are. Not to mention unfairly sexy."

Blake reacted just as he expected and Penn reached out for her other hand, stopping in the middle of the empty street. "I love you."

Blake just smiled at him and they spent a moment in each other's eyes. "I love you." He repeated. She gently placed a hand on the side of his face and brushed his cheek.

"I'm not as brave as you yet… but you know I love you. How could I not?" she giggled nervously and her few words were enough to melt his heart. He leant in slowly, never leaving her eyes but taking her face in his hands. He didn't want to force her into anything, so he waited patiently for her to make the next move. She hesitated before meeting him in the middle. Their cold lips met and instantly heated up as they held on. It was the slowest, simplest and most chaste kiss either had experienced, but also the most perfect and passionate.

And here was where it all began…


	4. Où Le Vent Me Porte

**a/n:**** Hi! Sorry I havent updated in so long- I was away last week, but I felt like I owed you an extra long chapter, and there were also requests to write longer- so here it is. eeek, I didnt get the chance to proof read this AGAIN, because I'm going out and Chiara will kill me if it isn't up. (love you- sorry for taking so long :P) I tried to fit in m-rated here, but it just wouldnt have made sense- definitely soon tho! Bear with me, but I wanted them to wait- I'm sure they did irl anyway. But there will be smut in either the next or following chapters! I doubt this actually happened as their first date :L but it's kinda plausible- I've done something similar lol- just go with it! Enjoy and reviewwwwwww :3 **

Penn woke in the morning, feeling the most at home he'd felt in the uninviting hotel bed since he'd moved to New York. Just knowing that his girl was barely feet away, on the other side of the wall, in her equally empty bed, made the generic surroundings feel almost homely. As soon as his eyes opened, a blissful smile took over his face as he replayed the events of the night before; there wasn't an alarm in the world that could wake him up better than this. He prayed the memory would never erase, so he could relive it over and over, but it was then that it hit him: he didn't have to dream anymore; his dream had become his reality, and now, the hours he spent wishing he could be with her, he could now spend actually _being_ with her.

He inhaled slowly but deeply as he brushed his fingers over his lips. Lips that had so recently touched hers. He wondered when they'd next meet. He knew that she wouldn't want anyone to know just yet, and while he respected that, he wanted more than anything just to be with her, with no restrictions. He worried that things may be awkward today; he hoped that she hadn't changed her mind or just gone along with it in the moment so not to hurt his feelings.

A few feet away, on the other side of the wall, Blake lay there worrying about similar things. She softly bit her lower lip; she could still taste him there. The taste formed dimples in her cheeks and triggered the memory of his scent, which made it feel as though he was always hers… Maybe he was? Maybe it just took this long for her to realise it.

She wondered whether it would be awkward around him for a while. Where did they stand? Were they 'dating'; 'seeing each other'; 'boyfriend and girlfriend'? The timeline of their relationship made it uncomfortably ambiguous as to where they went from here; they'd spoken those three sacred words before they were even a couple and before they'd even kissed, but they had been friend's years before that. Were they supposed to act as if they'd been together this entire time or did they go on dates and get to know each other as if it were all new?

Blake got out of bed and shrugged off her thoughts as she pulled on her clothes.

Que sera sera.

She knew last night was too special for nothing to come of this, so she decided to have faith in their natural chemistry and head to work as normal.

_**The night before:**_

The love-struck pair made their way back to the hotel- Penn's arm around Blake's shoulder and hers around his waist. It was more of a leisurely stroll than a purposeful walk, even though it was late and they had work in the morning. Either of them would happily trade the few hours' sleep for this feeling. Neither of them said anything for the rest of the way back; the touch of their hands and the peacefulness said it all. Words would only cheapen the moment.

The doorman at the hotel gave them a nod and greeted them inside. Penn stepped to the side to let Blake in first, following close behind, wanting so much to be nearer to her- to feel the warmth of her body, contrasting the cold outside- but he knows that this love is for them, and only them, and for that, Penn was willing to compromise anything.

Once they were inside the elevator, he slipped an arm around her waist and gently pulled her closer, resting his forehead against hers while her back was against the mirrored wall. Their noses brushed against each other and they both just gazed longingly into each other's eyes. Their grins became one when their lips joined and pressed together like leaves between pages in a book.

Penn caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror and interrupted the kiss with a soft chuckle. Blake thought it was something she'd done. "What is it?"

"My face," he replied, "do you have any idea how creepy that is, seeing yourself be all sappy 'n' shit?"

"No, but I know how cute it is to see _you_ be all 'sappy 'n' shit', and I love it. I love you." She smiled sweetly and placed a delicate kiss on his lips before moving away from the mirror, ready for the elevator doors to open; the last thing they needed was to be caught together like that.

Penn rested against the mirror, just watching her, contently. "Wow… you know, it really doesn't suck as badly as I thought it would to hear you say that." He mused sarcastically.

Blake rolled her eyes. "I'm glad I surpassed your expectations, Cassanova."

"You always do…" he said genuinely as the doors opened.

She blushed a little as she made her way to her room with Penn following close behind.

"Can I, uhh, come in?" he asked hesitantly as he watched her swipe the key card.

Blake paused with the door slightly ajar, deciding what to do. If she lets him in, will he think that he can have his way with her? Because she definitely doesn't want him to think that, because he definitely can't. Not yet. She doesn't know what letting him in now will mean. _Does _it mean anything? Is she overthinking? She'd always let him in before… Should now be any different?

Blake was completely unaware that it was now a good ten seconds after he'd asked, and she still had an unsure look on her face.

"…you _can_ say 'no' if you want… but I just wanna talk. Nothing more."

The reassurance put Blake at ease and she opened the door to let him in, knowing she should never have doubted him. This _was _Penn, after all. "Come in. I mean, why should tonight be any different, right?"

"Right," Penn agreed, "it's not like we kissed or said 'I love you' to each other, so it's fine. Totally not awkward…"

The self-created awkwardness actually helped in this case, as it allowed them to laugh it off, the way they always did. Goofiness was their forte; in fact, it was one of the things Penn loved most about being with her and he definitely didn't want that to change just because they were together in a different way now. He didn't want anything about her to change. He loved her for exactly who she was, and he was going to make damn sure she knew it.

"Oh, here, I stole this from you the other day. You can have it back now." Blake threw one of Penn's cardigans at him from across the room. "It's gorgeous. When did you acquire a dress-sense?"

Thanks to Penn's worrying slow reactions, he caught the cardigan with his face and then sent back a muffled reply with it still over his head, "when you told me you could never date a guy without one…"

Blake was expecting a sarcastic response but was humbled by his honesty. She paused before replying, "You're telling me you only started to give a damn about what you looked like because you wanted to date me?"

Penn took the cardigan off his face and then instantly regretted it, realizing that it was much easier to say these things to her behind a cover. "I don't wanna date you, Blake."

"…"

Penn moved closer and took her hands in his. "I want more than that. I want to be _with _you. I wanna have all of you. I want to share all of myself with you. And I need you to know that the girl I fell in love with is the same girl who I was best friends with: The girl who can eat nine cupcakes in a row like it's nothing; the girl who cries at 'Finding Nemo'; the girl who can quote Shakespeare _and _ from memory; the girl with the golden smile, and the girl with the golden heart. Funny, smart, charming, charismatic… goofy. I love it all, and I don't want _anything _about you to change. You hear me?"

Blake stood there with her modest, shy smile, feeling tears percolating in her eyes. She loved him. She always had and she always would. "I hear you, you big cheeseball." She giggled softly and Penn gingerly took the back of her head in his hand as he placed his lips on her forehead, wrapping his free arm around her, pulling her close. She did the same and locked both arms around him, just standing in his warmth, feeling everything fall into place.

"Come on, let's get you to sleep. You're a horror in the morning if you sleep badly."

"I am not!"

"You are… it's terrifying."

"You wanna see terrifying?" she threatened as she picked up a pillow and stared menacingly at him.

"Oh shit. See. Terrifying!" he yelped as he jumped on the bed, picking up the other pillow to defend himself as she took swings at him.

"What's so terrifying about me? I'm just your sweet Blake." She said as she delivered body and head blows.

"I take back my speech! What happened to your golden heart?" he decided to go easy on her and only hit below the waist.

"What heart? Muahaaha." She cackled as she swung recklessly at his legs whilst he was jumping up and down, sending him crashing down to the mattress in a heap and taking her down with him. She fell on top of him, marginally missing the corner of the bedside table as he caught her head to protect her.

"Woah…"

They both burst out in giggles, exhausted from all the jumping and swinging. Penn may be a guy with terrible reactions, but when Blake's safety was involved, his sharpness was unparalleled. He would do anything to protect that girl. _His_ girl.

He carefully rolled her over, stroked her perfectly messy, blonde hair, laid a final kiss on her flushed cheek and whispered, "goodnight, pretty girl."

The sound was sweet and refreshing to Blake, but she could have sworn she'd heard it before, and she knew Kelly, her ex-boyfriend, never used to call her that. Nevertheless, she shrugged it off and replied, "'night, Penn." As she gazed up at him, leaving through the adjoining door. Ah, the adjoining door…

* * *

It was just gone twelve-thirty and the entire cast were let off to go to lunch at the same time. Penn and Blake hadn't seen each other at any point in the morning, so this was going to be the moment of truth where they found out just how awkward it was going to be.

Penn strolled up to Kraft service with Ed and Leighton, while Blake was on her way with Chace. Penn, Ed and Leighton were messing about with the red-vines, when Blake pounced on Penn's back, draping her arms over his shoulders. "Hey, guys!"

Penn spun around in all directions in a half-hearted attempt to get her off. "Hey, monkey." He gave Chace a nod. "Chace."

"Whats up, man?" Chace returned the nod before joining in on the red-vine fun. Blake jumped off Penn's back and started browsing the selection of food.

Penn joined her while he gnawed on a red-vine. "I'm starving. _Someone _ate my burger last night…" he raised an eyebrow at her with a smirk.

"Oh really? So that's how you feel about it, huh? Good to know. It wasn't that great anyway." She joked casually with a light laugh. Her eyes still on the food.

He dramatically clutched at his chest, "Ooft! That hurt. Take it back."

"Okay, I'll give you a second chance tonight…" she said coyly.

"What do you wanna do? Can we skip the burger bar, please?"

"Surprise me! Think of something fun. I finish at four. You finish early today, too, don't you?" She checked the call sheet to confirm.

"Yeah, I do. Alright, meet me at the hotel at five and I'll have a blindfold ready." He gave her a creepy, murderer smile and laughed as he grabbed a sandwich and went to join the others who were whispering and staring over at them.

"I fucking knew it. The lucky bastard." Ed muttered under his breath to Chace and Leighton.

"I wondered what that noise was last night, but I didn't think he had it in him." Chace subtly whispered, enviously.

Leighton interrupted, "Guys, I don't think Blake would do that…"

Ed quickly corrected her, "Leight', did you _hear _them last night? I always knew Blake couldn't be _that _innocent, but I never took her for a freak in bed. What I wouldn't give to be Penn right now."

Chace clocked Penn getting closer and turned his back to warn them. "Guys, shut up, he's coming."

They all turned around in unison like they were about to perform a rehearsed dance routine. They were all far too eager and their smiles were faker than Italian black market Gucci. "Penn!" they all chirped together.

Penn wasn't stupid. He knew something was up. "Joke's up, guys. What are you lot up to?"

"That's the same question we wanted to ask _you." _Chace countered.

Penn inhaled deeply as he subtly glanced over at Blake to check she was still over by Kraft service. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Leighton rolled her eyes. "You know _exactly_ what we're talking about…" she was right- He did. "Blake seems happy this morning…you wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that, would you?"

Penn stood his ground as best he could, "Blake's always happy."

Ed smirked. "Dude, you didn't answer the question. For some strange reason, you always manage to pull girls that are _way _out of your league, but I'll be honest: I didn't think you could pull _this _one off."

"Well, you are yet to be proved wrong. Nothing happened." Penn answered him dryly.

"What the hell was that noise last night then?" Chace pried, far too loudly.

Oh, well _this _is awkward. What were the chances they'd believe that they were just having a late-night pillow fight? He had the right mind to sue the hotel for this shit. If you stay at a five star hotel, you'd at least expect they could sound-proof the walls!

Only Penn would want sound-proofed walls so he could _pillow fight_ in private.

"It's not what you think it was." He said bluntly, not wanting to have to explain it. "Seriously, guys can you just respect our privacy, please? I don't want her to feel uncomfortable."

"_Our _privacy! I knew it!" Ed interrupted annoyingly.

"Look, I'm working on it." Penn replied honestly. "But, please. Just help me out here and don't tease her about it." he pleaded.

Leighton decided she should step up and be the mature one for the boys. "Yeah, of course" she put a hand on his shoulder. "She'd be lucky to have you. I trust you'll treat her right…but, you know, if you don't…"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll cut my balls off and feed them to the dogs." Penn interjected.

"I was actually going to say I'd feed them to _you, _but I can work with that… be good to her."

"Don't worry, Leight', I will."

Once Blake was done choosing her lunch, the group all gathered round a table, eating their food and enjoying each other's company- laughing about the events of the morning. Much to Penn's relief, there was no further mention of the pillow fight.

Penn spent the day preoccupied with ideas for their date in the afternoon; he had to really think this through. It had to be perfect. She deserves the best, and he wanted to prove that he could be the one to give it to her.

Dinner was too impersonal- he's known Blake for years. He had to do something that she'd know he'd put thought into and above all, she had to have fun. The burger bar thing had been done, nights in had been done. Should he do something super-romantic and not necessarily just fun, or was that too much? He wanted it to be fun and light-hearted, but he also wanted it to be intimate too. He wanted to make sure she knew what page he was on. He wanted her attention in a different way than before. They'd been on tons of 'friend' dates, and so he wanted to be certain that she knew that this time was different.

It was a long day for Penn, and not his finest, acting-wise. He took a lot of shit from the director for not having his head in it, but he didn't care. Did he not realise that he had a life-changing decision to make? This was serious shit. He was okay with not doing Dan Humphrey justice if it meant he could make Blake Lively happy.

* * *

Five o'clock came and Penn was all set to go. He knocked on Blake's door, holding a blindfold. He wasn't joking.

Blake answered, looking casual in some jeans, converse and a plain, v-neck white t-shirt. Penn smirked to himself, wondering how she managed to make the simplest outfits look catwalk-worthy.

"Is what I'm wearing okay for what you have planned?" she asked, trying to figure out what he had in store.

"It's perfect. You look beautiful." He placed a soft kiss on her cheek before getting the blindfold ready.

Blake's eye catches the blindfold and she hesitates a little. "Oh, you really weren't kidding…"

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you."

"Okay, good. Just relax. I want it to be a surprise. I promise you'll love it." He stands behind her, carefully putting the blindfold over her eyes, making sure not to get any of her perfect blond hair tangled in the knot at the back. "That's not too tight is it?"

"No, it's fine. I'm excited!" she squeaks. "Can I have a clue?"

"If I tell you, I'm going to have to kill you…"

"Okay, Drama Queen. Have it your way. Let's go. The suspense is killing me."

"Alright, alright. We're going." He puts an arm around her waist, guiding her along the corridor and into the elevator. She puts an arm over his shoulder, just to make sure she doesn't lose him.

"Seriously, Penn, you couldn't have put the blindfold on downstairs?"

"What's the fun in that?" he says and pokes her side, making her jump as she squeals.

"You jerk! You know how badly I jump when you do that! It's like a hundred times scarier when you can't see anything!" she whined.

"It's cute. But okay, I'll lay off with the tickling and poking whilst you're blindfolded. You're in safe hands."

He got her outside the hotel safely, as promised and he ushered her into a black Audi A7 and sat beside her in the back seat.

"Are we in a town car?" she asked, feeling around the interior. She trusted Penn, but it was definitely unnerving to not be able to see anything and have no idea where you were going.

"Nope." Penn replied plainly.

"So who's driving then…?"

"My friend, Vince." Penn nodded to Vince, signalling that it was okay to speak.

"Hey, Blake." Vince chirped happily.

"…hey." She replied awkwardly. Okay…this was weird. Why was there another guy on their date? _**It's okay, Blake. You trust him. It's fine. Just trust him.**_

Penn chuckled to himself. "Just relax. You said you trusted me?"

"Trust_ed_. Past tense." She joked.

"I love you. Present tense." He replied casually, but with the utmost sincerity. Blake was only joking anyway, but it was enough to shut her up. Since when did Penn have the ability to make her feel this way? To leave her speechless with five words? To make her this nervous? It took all she had to not rip off her blindfold and just kiss him- even with Vince in the car. Instead, her hand searched for his, travelling across his thigh until she finally found it on his knee. She hadn't intended it to be sensual at all, but it sort of felt that way. She banished any unwelcome and inappropriate thoughts by sliding her fingers in between his and stroking his hand with her thumb, waiting patiently to arrive at the unknown destination.

Not ten minutes later, the car stops outside a deserted warehouse in the middle of nowhere... Blake is still blindfolded, and it's just as well, because she would shit herself if she could see where she was right now.

Penn helps her out of the car whilst Vince goes to unlock the warehouse door. The warehouse is Vince's studio- so that's where he comes into it. Again, Blake doesn't know this.

"Penn, seriously, I can't get _one _clue?" she pleads.

"Nah uh. Besides, we're here. You're blindfold will be off in like two minutes."

"Fineee." She whines playfully as she swats the air in a futile attempt to hit him.

Vince chucks Penn the keys as he goes to leave and get in his car. "My work here is done. Don't forget to lock up if you leave. Call me when you're done. Have a good one!"

Penn catches the keys with his left hand- his right arm busy holding Blake close. "Thanks again, man. I appreciate it."

"Happy to help. Blake, it's been a pleasure…even though I can't see your eyes." He laughs lightly as he starts up the engine. "Have a great time."

"Thanks, Vince. You too." She doesn't know what she's thanking him for yet, but she reckons it's a safe bet that she'll enjoy herself if Penn is involved.

Vince drives off, speedily, leaving Penn on his own from here on. They step inside the warehouse and Penn prepares to uncover Blake's eyes. He looks around, making sure everything is in order before he does. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be!" she replies enthusiastically.

"Alright. Here we go. Please at least try and look excited, even if you think it's shit. I don't think my ego can take it." he says with a chuckle, although he's being deadly serious- he's petrified. He'd gone into excruciating detail when telling Vince how to set it all up, and he desperately hoped she'd like it.

At the same time as removing her blindfold, Penn hit 'play' on the remote for the sound-system. Suddenly, the sound of Ray Charles floods her ears- her favourite. She blinks as she looks around the colourful studio, taking it all in. She doesn't believe what she's seeing: in one corner, in front of a large, blank white wall, there is a table with a vast array of paint colours, brushes, rollers, spray-cans, and two white overalls. In another corner, a large TV hung from the wall, with a karaoke machine, a dance mat, and, of course, Guitar Hero. At the far end of the enormous studio, there was long bouncy castle, and she could make out some sort of obstacle course in it. In the corner closest to them, there was a makeshift room which was enclosed in white walls, matching the rest of the studio, with 'For The End Of The Night' written across it. Blake eyed it up, curiously, wondering what it could be. A cheesy disco ball hung from the ceiling, reflecting light throughout the studio as Penn dimmed the lights with the remote. He took Blake's hand, waking her up from her daze- her mouth was wide open in surprise. It all just felt like one crazy ecstasy flash-forward; one of those trippy dreams that seem like they could never manifest themselves. Well, here it was- right in front of her. She gripped Penn's hand tightly- her way of letting him know he'd done a good job, until she had found her equilibrium enough to speak. "Penn…" was all she could manage.

"Do you like it?" he asked nervously.

"Are you crazy? It's like all my favourite things in one massive room. How could I not _love _it?"

Penn laughed lightly in relief. "I thought you might. Come on, I'll show you around. There are a few hidden bits and bobs around here. Let's explore."

"Yeah, speaking of… what's in that room?"

"That's for later." He replied cryptically.

_**Oh, God…**_ All sorts of thoughts were flying through Blake's head; if it was a bedroom, she would never speak to him again, regardless of all this other amazing stuff. She silenced her doubts, reminding herself that Penn wasn't like that. She was adamant that this worry wouldn't stop her from having fun until she found out what was in there.

"Come on," he took her other hand and led her into the middle of the studio, under the disco ball just as 'You Send Me' by Sam Cooke came on.

"I love this song!" she cried.

"I know…" he replied coolly as put his arms around her. "May I have this dance, Miss Lively?" he asked with a grin.

"Yes, you may." She put her arms around his neck and he held her close around her waist, swaying slowly to the music.

"Have I told you look beautiful tonight?" he whispered into her ear as they swayed.

"Yes, you have… but only once. You need to step your game up, Badgley." She joked cutely.

"Well, I'll be sure to let you know more often…because you are…beautiful." He stared into her deep grey-blue eyes.

"Even in my t-shirt and converse?"

"Even in your t-shirt and converse…" he plants a chaste kiss on her forehead, holding his lips there, closing his eyes and inhaling her for what seems like an eternity.

Blake shuts her eyes, enjoying the peaceful silence against the hum of the music and the feeling of his lips against her skin. She's lost in the song and Penn's arms when she's startled by the sudden genre-change to up-tempo Britney- totally spoiling the moment.

"Uhh…" Penn feigned an awkward look, "I told him not to put it on shuffle."

Blake giggles and twirls out of his embrace and skips over to the paints. "Okay, so what are we doing over here?" she asks, running a hand over all the art supplies- checking out all the tools.

"Anything you want!" Penn beams. "The wall is totally ours to decorate. It's up to you. We might wanna put these on first, though." He hands her some overalls and slips into his own.

Once Blake is covered up, she picks up the largest paint brush, dips it into the red paint pot and predictably flicks it at him. "How about I decorate you?" she grins.

"Oh… Oh you are _so _gonna get it." He picks up the entire green paint pot and chases her around the studio. "I'm gonna get you eventually! We're locked in!" he snickers.

Blake is desperately running away, unarmed, weaving between the different activities that have been set up, before she manages to make her way back to the paint table, hiding behind it while she arms herself with the pink spray can. "Come and get me, Penny boy. I hear spray paint is pretty nasty in the eyes." She warns.

"Oooh, I'm so scared." He edges closer, knowing something that she hasn't figured out yet- daring her to attack first. "Come on then."

Blake fancies her chances and quickly pops up from behind the table, coming at him with the spray can, pressing down to spray him- standing only about a foot away. She quickly realises why he was so confident, because the nozzle is locked- it's a brand new can. Penn doubles over in laughter as he grabs her with one arm and tips the entire pot of paint over her.

She wriggles to get free, but he has her held tight, so she decides to transfer the paint that's on her, onto him instead- but he's laughing too hard to care. "I seriously thought you were smarter than that." He continues to laugh hysterically through his words.

"So not fair. I call foul play!" she moans petulantly and pouts at him.

Penn lets go of her puts his hands up in defence. "What is it they say? 'All is fair in love and war'?"

Blake raises an eyebrow. "Oh, so this is a war, huh?"

"This is love… the war is strictly for fun. The seriousness of our war goes no further than Guitar Hero." He smirks. "We all know you take no prisoners there."

She smiles back at him, dabbing green paint on his nose and brushing her nose against his. "In that case, I'll play fair until we get to Guitar Hero…I'll get you back then." She kisses him quickly before going back to the paints and starting on the wall. "How are we gonna this? Just throw paint at it, or…?"

The music switches to Justin Timberlake, and Blake loses her train of thought, laughing at Penn strutting towards the wall to 'Sexy Back'. "I'll let you _whip _me if I misbehave…it's just that no one makes me feel this way…" Penn fails to keep a straight face and cracks up laughing with her as he puts paint on his butt and proceeds to grind against the wall, smearing the paint all over it with his ass while he makes faces and sings along.

"_Okay, _Zoolander. Very sexy." She giggles.

"Do I hear a hint of sarcasm?"

She gasps, "Never! You're a total stud."

They fool around for a while longer with the paints- turning the mess of a wall into somewhat of a piece of art. They had fun with the base-coat of random splashes of colour but then Blake started to go into more detail, painting pretty flowers and printing sweet love quotes , and Penn followed suit. He wasn't as artistic as Blake was, but he took inspiration from her, just letting the brush do its thing.

Once they were done, Penn took pictures of the wall, so they'd still have it when Vince washed all the shit off and put his art studio back to normal. They washed their hands in the sink and took off their overalls before heading over to the next activity.

"So, if I just blow this picture up and frame it, you're ok with that being your birthday present, right?" Penn joked.

"Sure! If you want me to buy you a mouse mat for yours." She laughed and nudged him before rushing over to the TV area. "Shall we warm you up with the dance mat, Mr Sexy Back? Why don't you go first and show me your moves?"

"Oh, is that a challenge, Miss Lively?"

"You bet it is. Step up to the plate."

He promptly did as told and proceeds to make a giant dick of himself; only for her. Blake thoroughly enjoys herself at his expense before expertly showing him how it's done. Penn stands back and watches with a smirk. _**God, she's cute. **_

Once she was done schooling him on the dance mats, she did the same on Guitar Hero, rightfully boasting and rubbing her superiority in his face, somehow managing not to annoy him. It never did. He secretively loved it when she beat him at things; he loved seeing her smug face and how genuinely happy she got.

"Karaoke time!" Penn grabbed the mic, setting up the song so the lyrics came up on the TV. Penn _could _actually sing, but he was shy about it. Blake had only heard him sing for TV roles and he wasn't about to just seriously break into song now either. He was saving that for a more special time than karaoke.

Penn cleared his throat, preparing for the music to start… he begins dramatically: "If I should stay, I would only be in your way, so I'll go, but I know I'll think of you every step of the way…" before taking a breath and belting out, "and iiiiii eee iiiii will always love youuuu oooohhh."

Blake bursts into giggles, joining him on the mini stage, sharing the mic as she sings, "bittersweet memories, that is all I am taking with me eeeee… So goodbye. Please don't cry…" they look longingly into each other's eyes as if they were in Grease as they dove into the next chorus together: "and iiiiii eee iiii will always love youuuu oooh." Blake did her best to stifle her giggles while Penn held the note and took her under his arm, swaying as he sung. He pressed a tender kiss on her forehead at the end of the song, holding her still for a moment.

"I reckon our version would storm the charts. We need to get in a recording studio, asap."

"For sure. We'd hit the big bucks. Forget Gossip Girl." Penn agreed.

"Seriously though…when do I get to hear you sing?"

"You just did." He replied annoyingly- knowing full well what she was talking about.

"_No_, I mean singing properly, silly." she donned her most adorable puppy dog eyes.

"You didn't think I was singing properly?" he gasped, feigning offence. "Well that's awkward."

Blake huffed and rolled her eyes. "You just won't budge, will you?"

"Nope." He grinned and swiftly scooped her up and carefully threw her over his shoulder, holding her tight by her legs as she thumped his back with her fists.

"Penn! Let me down _right _now!"

Penn ignored her and made a run for the bouncy castle with her on his back, laughing uncontrollably.

"Penn Dayton Badgley, I am going to _kill _you." She squealed as the blood rushed to her head.

"Oh shit! Blake Christina Lively just used my whole name. Have mercy!" he mocked as he jumped into the bouncy castle, releasing her from his hold. She landed on her back but quickly got up and started bouncing over him. "Okay, that's fucking terrifying from down here. Seriously, Blake stop." He managed to say as he covered his face with his arms. He was laughing, but he was genuinely freaked out. This only gave her more power and made her bounce higher, laughing uncontrollably. Penn had no choice but to grab one of her legs, sending her crashing down on her front, giving him time to get to his feet.

"Oww! I have boobs, Penn, you jerk!" Blake whined as she lay on her chest.

"Another thing I love about you." He smirked cheekily and made a run for it out of the castle and down the bouncy obstacle course, picking up one of the SuperSoaker's which was lying in the doorway of the bouncy castle.

She laughed to herself and shook her head, watching him run away. "You better run! I'm lethal with a SuperSoaker."

"Come at me, Blakey!" he dared from the end of the obstacle course.

She accepted the challenge, picked up the SuperSoaker and started bounding down the inflatable obstacle course, clambering through the holes, climbing over the walls and under the nets. Just as she crawled under the final net, she didn't see Penn there waiting to open fire on her. He laughed out loud as he pumped the water gun, soaking her hair. Once she was out, she quickly got upright and started shooting at nothing in particular as Penn dodged and weaved, barely wetting the sleeve of his grey T-shirt. "Nice aim!"

Blake ignored him and focussed her aim on his shirt, partly because she wanted him to take it off. She may be a shy, reserved young lady, but she still had hormones.

The water fight continued for a good while longer until both were sufficiently soaked and exhausted, passing out on their backs inside the castle.

"I'm dead." Blake yawned.

"Don't die yet! There's still the secret room to go!"

_**Oh crap. The secret room.**_ She'd forgotten about that and had actually managed to have a good time without worrying about it. The night had been perfect so far, she prayed this last 'activity' wouldn't spoil it…

"Do I get a clue?" she asked as he offered a hand to help her up and out of the bouncy castle.

"Well it can get pretty hot and steamy in there…"

_**Oh, for fuck sake.**_ Blake looked around, planning her escape route and her angry parting speech. Did he seriously think he could get in her pants on their first official date? She kept quiet, holding onto the ever-diminishing sliver of hope that she was wrong as he led her to the room at the other end of the studio.

They get to the door and Penn lets go of her hand. "Wait here, I just need to make sure it's all ready." He quickly slips through the door so she's unable to see inside.

_**Brilliant, he's lighting the candles- that's if he's even bothered with candles, **_she thought to herself. Penn emerges from the room with a cheeky smile on his face… "It's ready…" he says coyly. He holds out his hand and she hesitantly places hers in his. She swallows hard with a nervous look on her face and he's confused as to why. He thought she was having fun. He hoped he hadn't done anything wrong or anything to upset her…

The door opened to Vince's small, kitchen area which the white walls were enclosing, filled with a selection of ingredients and utensils. "Hungry?" he grinned.

Blake's face stretched into an enormous smile- partly through relief, but mostly through genuine joy. He really did know her well and she really should learn to stop doubting him so much. He's one of the good ones. She stood still in the doorway, gazing at him in awe. "You really are amazing, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." He smirked. "But don't let it get to my head." Blake picked up the tea towel and whipped his leg with it. "Come on, I'm hungry. What's it gonna be, Chef Lively?"

"Hmm…" she scanned through the ingredients intensely. "How about butterflied chicken breast with creamy mushroom and white wine sauce?" she suggested excitedly.

"That sounds damn good to me. Plus, that's quick, right?"

Blake rolled her eyes. "Yes, you'll get your food quickly," she said as she poked his stomach. "But you're my sous chef, right? That'll make it quicker."

"Ehh…" Penn screwed up his face. "Too many cooks spoil the broth."

"Oh shut up." She laughed as she prepped her ingredients.

"I wanted to set up a sort of Masterchef thing where we'd race against the clock and have a cook off, but the kitchen's too small." Penn explained.

"Oh my gosh, that would have been incredible. But I wouldn't want you losing yet again tonight… can't be doing much for your ego." She teased.

"Trust me, you just being here with me is doing a lot for my ego…"

Blake blushed as she butterflied and washed the chicken breasts. "Hey, make yourself useful and chop the mushrooms." She nudged him playfully and they exchanged a sweet smile before he did as she asked.

"Yes, Chef."

Once Penn's job was done, he sat back on the stool, admiring Blake at work. Seeing the concentration but genuine enjoyment on her face as she precisely carried out each step.

Blake had finished prepping and all that was left to do was to wait for the chicken to cook. She turned around and caught Penn's gaze. "Oh, 'cause that's not creepy." She laughed lightly.

"I think I'm due to tell you that you're beautiful again... I recall you picking me up for slacking on that earlier." He replied charmingly.

Blake smiled modestly to herself, feeling overly shy in the cramped kitchen. Penn noticed her timidity and rid her of any of those feelings with an unexpected but gentle kiss on the lips. He rested one hand on her hip while the other cupped the side of her face. He cautiously deepened the kiss, reassured by her response that it was okay to do so.

Their tongues met for the first time. The meeting was brief, but it definitely happened, regardless of Blake's premature withdrawal.

It's not that she didn't want to- she did. And it felt good, but she was constantly conscious about not moving too fast. Although, she did surprise herself with her flirtatiousness to give him a taste but not let him all the way in. Penn didn't mind. It only added to his desire to uncover the mystery that she was. From the taste of her mouth, to her odd taste in music, she was an enigma to him. He knew her so well, yet there was so much to be discovered. The thought excited him and he couldn't wait to find out more.

He held onto her for a few more seconds before their lips parted and formed two separate, but mirrored smiles.

"Dinner's ready" Blake noted casually.

"Perfect. This calls for my final party trick."

"There's more?" Blake inquired, genuinely surprised.

"You bet. Plate up while I sort it out." Penn picked up the metal rod that was resting against the wall in the corner and hooked the end of it onto a latch on the ceiling, opening up the door and lowering down the ladder which was attached to it. "Dinner on the rooftop, underneath the stars?" he asked as if there was any chance she'd decline.

Blake's mouth was wide open in shock. "You're not serious…right?"

A smug smile appeared on Penn's face, mentally patting himself on the back for managing to leave the girl with so many words, speechless. "I'm serious."

"Wow…" was all she could manage in return. "Uhh, hang on, let me just plate up the food."

Once everything was plated up, Penn took the dishes and started up the ladder.

"Penn, if you drop that, you better be okay with eating it off the floor, because I will if I have to."

"Ew, gross." He laughed as he disappeared up onto the roof. He set the plates down at the table and came back for her. "Are you alright getting up yourself?" he called down to her.

"I'm pretty sure I can manage a ladder, Penn." She laughed softly as she made her way up.

"Just trying to be a gent."

Blake was a hopeless romantic, but she also wanted to make it clear that she could her hold her own, too. She wasn't the damsel in distress; she was a very capable, independent woman. This fact didn't skip Penn's attention either. He loved this about her. Normally, a guy (especially with his height) would feel emasculated by such statuesque beauty and confidence, but she didn't _need _him; she _wanted _him, and nothing could beat that feeling.

Blake stood up on the large rooftop, beside him, taking in the beautiful night air and staring up at the stars. The barriers around the edges of the rooftop were covered in white lights and there was a small, candle-lit table in the middle where their food was waiting. "Penn, this is… unbelievable… I can't even… I don't even know what to say."

"Say you're hungry, 'cause the food's getting cold!"

"Well, I am _starving."_

Penn pulls out her chair for her. (This time, the chair is actually movable.) They both sit down and he pours Blake a glass of soda before he pours himself a glass of red wine. Penn raises his glass, "cheers to-"

Blake cuts him off and carries on, "cheers to you bringing me on a date and making _me _cook _you _a candle-lit dinner." She smirked.

"Hey! I lit the candles! _And _I chopped the mushrooms. What more do you want from me?"

Blake giggles as they clink their glasses before taking a sip. "No, but seriously… this is beyond anything I could have imagined when I told you to surprise me."

Penn's eyes smiled warmly back at her. "I'm glad. I had an amazing time with you."

"Me too…I've honestly had the most magical night. Thank you…and thank you for not trying to sleep with me." She laughed awkwardly.

"Huh?" Penn blinked and nearly choked on his mouthful. "You're…_welcome?"_

"I dunno, I was just worried that's what you wanted… Especially with this 'for the end of the night' room… "Blake kept her eyes on her food, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

Penn put his knife and fork down and gave her his full attention. It upset him to think that was in the back of her mind. "Blake…" he said softly.

She looked up slowly. "Yeah…?"

"I love you, alright? You…not your body… okay, well your body's pretty amazing too, but-" _**Good start, dickhead. **_"my point is: I'm in love with you for you. I love spending time with you, talking, laughing, goofing around. We're just starting to get to know each other this way…I don't wanna spoil it by moving too fast. When the right time comes, and we're both ready- however long that takes- then, sure, I'm sure that wouldn't suck. But that's not important to me right now. You are. I'm sorry if I ever gave you that impression."

Blake smiled at the tablecloth, blushing and feeling stupid for ever questioning his motives. Penn moved his hand across the table and found hers, delicately playing with her fingers. "You didn't really do anything to give me that impression…I'm sorry I doubted you. I guess I'm just confused. This is all really new still. Like, what even are we…?"

"Well… I thought we were getting married next week…Vegas, right?" he joked.

Blake slapped his hand away. "Jerk." She laughed. "Can you just be serious for a second?"

"Sorry…" Penn composed himself and then continued seriously, "if it's okay with you, I'd love if you would be my girlfriend…" he asked hopefully. He didn't think she'd say no, but he was still nervous and he was pretty sure he sounded like the biggest loser on the planet.

"Me too…" she smiled shyly and then started giggling randomly.

"Oh great, I sound like a douchelord don't I?" Penn scratched the back of his neck, feeling horribly self-conscious.

Blake covered her mouth to muffle the giggles. "No, I'm sorry… you don't….nervous laughter. This isn't an every-day conversation."

"Well, I should hope not, seeing as I'm now your boyfriend." He reminded her smugly.

"Lucky me."

"Lucky _me._" He countered.

They continued eating, stealing a few glances when the other wasn't looking, wondering why it took them so long to get here. This felt so right.

"Babe, this chicken is amazing." _**Babe! She's been your girlfriend for three minutes exactly. Babe?**_

"Thank-a-you! I make it all the time. It's so easy to do. I'll show you some time."

"Uhh, how about I just leave that to you…I'll eat it, though!"

"Typical" she laughed lightly. "Are you finished?"

"Yup. All gone. Thank you- it was delicious."

"You're welcome. Thank you for tonight… I love you, you know that." She said softly.

"Say that again…"

"I love you." The grin on her face wasn't about to budge.

"Sorry, you're gonna have to speak a bit louder." He cupped his ear, pretending to try and hear her better.

"I love you!" she shouted.

"Woah, okay, jeez. Easy. I heard you the first time." He teased, standing up and going over to her chair.

She giggled and threw her napkin at him as she stood up and put her arms around his neck. He kissed her softly on the lips before she nuzzled her face into his chest and he held her close. "Hey, you know the expression, 'I wanna shout it from the rooftops'?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Let's do it."

Blake looked up at him, still in his arms. "Really?"

"Really! Why not? We're on a rooftop- let's make the most of it." Penn suggested eagerly.

"Thank you for being such a geek, because I _really _wanted to, but it's hardly normal." They both laughed together and he picked her up in a knight-in-shining-armour way and spun her around.

"Woah! Dizzy. Sick. Chicken. Not a great idea!" Blake warned as she was being spun.

Penn didn't wanna leave Vince with puke on his roof, so he carefully put her down before screaming from the edge of the rooftop, "I love my girlfriend!"

Blake joined in giddily, "I love my boyfriend!"

"We're in love, and I'm shouting it from the rooftops! Sue me!"

"Don't actually sue him, because I only want him for his money!"

"I only want her for her cooking!"

Blake gasped as if she were offended, but he silenced her with a quick kiss on the lips. "Mmm. I could get used to that."

"You're really gonna have to start warning me before you do that."

"No I don't. I'm your boyfriend now." He beamed and then walked off towards the ladder down to the kitchen.

Penn called Vince to pick them up while they cleared up a bit and the journey back was far more relaxed than the previous one. Vince was also being far too nosey and Penn scolded him in return.

Once they were back at the hotel, they stop outside their adjacent rooms, doing the awkward key-fiddle, except with key-cards instead of keys- not as effective.

"Goodnight, pretty girl." Penn spoke softly as he kissed her cheek. "Sleep well."

"Why don't you come in?" she asked innocently.

"Because I want to."

"_Right…_"

"No, I mean, I shouldn't, because I really want to and I don't want to spoil an amazing night. And, regarding our talk earlier…"

"Is it that hard for you to keep your hands off me?" she teased.

"Harder than you'll ever know. Believe me. But you're well worth it." Penn swiped his key-card and opened the door.

"'night, Penn….I had so much fun tonight. Thank you."

"You're welcome, angel. Sleep tight." He disappeared into his room, leaving Blake standing there, daydreaming about how perfect this all was. She still couldn't believe all the trouble he went to, just for her. How much thought he put into it all. She'd just had the most amazing night of her life, with the most amazing guy she'd ever known. Life was pretty good right now.

She got into bed, laying there counting her blessings. She got her phone out and texted Penn who was on the other side of the wall.

"I love you- B"

She waited for a reply and then heard three knocks on the wall before hearing a muffled response. "I love you too." He called out.


	5. Hard Decision

**A/N: ****FINALLY! First of all, sorry to everyone who's been waiting for this chapter. And to whoever that anon is on my tumblr who was asking me to update every day :L lol I'm sorry I took so long. This chapter is very different to the last few so just be aware of that and hopefully embrace it... anyway I'm really sorry if it's shitty but I had NO motivation and kind of had to just get it done. :/**

Light rips through the room, slashing across Penn's face, scolding him for forgetting to shut the curtains. He groans awake, absently checking the time on the alarm- 5:56- four minutes before he had to leave.

He uncomfortably readjusted his position before waking up enough to realise what the tightness in his boxers were… He slid his hand down to his crotch until he hit the hard-on that was trying to escape. "Shit!" he muttered through gritted teeth.

He quickly jumped out of bed, grabbing a pair of jeans from the armchair, and unsteadily stepped into them whilst hopping over to the cupboard to get a shirt out. He had managed to get as far as pulling his jeans up, but the situation down below prevented him from doing them up. His shirt and shoes were on and he had three minutes left. He was _dying _to go to the toilet, but he'd tried _that _before, and he wasn't about to do it again. "Come on, come on. Go down!" he pleaded as he shouted at his penis. "Fuck!"

He looked around frantically, trying to figure out how best to use his time while he waited for it to go down. Why did this have to happen now? He didn't remember the last time he'd woken up with a boner. Why now? _**Wouldn't have anything to do with the lack of action you're getting with your new girlfriend, would it, Penn? **_He silenced his annoying subconscious and started furiously brushing his teeth against the clock- his 'situation' was still rock hard. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" he panicked impatiently as he made his gums bleed with the harshness of the toothbrush bristles.

Two minutes to go and Penn's little friend still wouldn't budge. "Why won't you go down?" he shouts a little too loudly and then hears a buzzing in his pocket, which doesn't help the situation. He gets his phone out and opens a text from Blake: 'What won't go down? Not-so-soundproofed walls ;) Someone's late for work… x'

_**Oh fuck. **_'Toilet's blocked. lol – I'll be out in a minute- I'm not late yet! :P'

As soon as he hit send, he regretted it. What was worse? Admitting you had a stiffy or that your shit was so big that it blocked the toilet…? Let's face it, neither excuse was endearing. His only other option was to relieve himself, but he didn't have enough time for that either, so he tucked it up under the waistband of his boxers so it couldn't be seen and he rushed out the door.

He frantically ran down the corridor and turned the corner for the elevator before almost colliding with Blake who was stood calmly, waiting for the elevator doors to open.

"Woah there, Mr 'I'm not late yet'." Blake mocked

Penn laughed it off, still flustered and now his heart was racing from all the rushing. "Sorry…" he managed through his embarrassment. "Sleep well?" he asked as more of a distraction from himself.

"Like a baby," she smiled happily. "How about you? Why are you in such a rush?" The elevator doors opened and they walked in.

"I missed my alarm. But yeah, me too… hey, I think you're forgetting something."

"Oh, I am? What's that?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Penn gave her a cute nod with a smile and laid a tender kiss on her cheek before the doors opened to the hotel foyer. Blake gave him a warm, knowing smile before walking out in the foyer and greeting the rest of the cast. They were all going to location in an 8-seater as they all had the same call-time and Penn and Blake were the last two to arrive. This, of course, sparked all sorts of speculation, which at this point, Penn probably would wish were true.

Ed was the first to pipe up, "Hey, lovebirds! Glad you could finally join us."

Penn glared at him seriously. He had no problem with being open about their relationship, but he didn't want Blake to feel uncomfortable; she hadn't told him she wanted anyone to know yet.

Chace was sniggering in the corner. "Dude…your pants."

_**Holy shit. Kill me. Someone just shoot me. Why isn't the ground opening up yet? **_Penn was frozen still- not knowing what to do. He swallowed nervously whilst trying to look as composed as possible and he slowly looked down, almost relaxing into a pile of jelly on the floor when he realised it was just his zipper that was undone. He chuckled softly, "Thanks man."

It was just gone lunchtime and Penn was shooting a scene with Blake in the Van der/Bass suite. They were lying on Serena's bed, waiting for the director to call 'action', but both of them wished the crew weren't there.

"Action!"

They began kissing and cuddling- Penn's hands all over her, and Blake's holding his head while they kissed.

"Have you always looked this good?" _**that's stupid writing, **_he thought, _**she always looks this good. **_"You look so good to me." Penn took a look at her and she giggled her trademark giggle.

"You look so good to _me." _she responded sweetly. "And you smell so…clean." She said as she inhaled him.

Penn took her hand in his and kissed each of her knuckles delicately. "You're not gonna tell me the Chuck shower story again, are you?"

"No." Blake replied with an adorable pout which Penn proceeded to smother with his lips.

"Good."

The two were locked in a passionate embrace before they were interrupted by Ed's character, Chuck. The director called cut because Ed marginally missed his cue and everyone returned back to their positions.

_**Oh…shit….not again… not now.**_

Penn froze like a deer in headlights when he realised what had happened. They were about to roll for their third take, but there was no way he could get through this scene with what was going on in his pants. Blake was still clinging to him, playing with his earlobe while she was waiting for the director to call action, which really didn't help; the back of the neck and earlobes were a big no-no for Penn. He tried to not look at her or touch her too much, but nothing was working- he had to get out somehow.

Penn broke into a coughing fit, excusing himself while he got off the bed and ran into the bathroom, making sure not to expose himself, running folded over to hide it. "Sorry. Just a sec." he spluttered.

He got into the bathroom, desperately tugging at his zipper, trying to get it down so he could rearrange himself, almost forgetting to keep coughing. He may now have the girl of his dreams, but he had no idea she'd come with erectile dysfunction. This had never happened to him before. Why now? He finally sorted himself out and took a moment to compose himself before he went back out. He'd worked up a sweat from the panic, so he quickly refreshed his face with a splash of water before reappearing into the room. "Hey, sorry- I'm good now."

He got back on the bed, next to her again and got in position. He still had a semi, but it was well-hidden.

"I wasn't aware you had allergic reactions to me… maybe I should stay away. " Blake spoke quietly to him.

"You're worth the risk." He whispered in her ear before clearing his throat, ready to reshoot the scene.

Penn was sitting in his trailer, reading over his lines when his phone buzzed.

'Hey : ) wanna go grab coffee before our last scene tonight? x – B'

He rubbed his face, frustrated- wanting to spend time with her- but he didn't trust himself around her, considering the events of the day. He reluctantly replied, telling her that he'd already agreed to get something to eat with Chace, but that he'd see her later.

He quickly texted Chace, hoping that he was free to meet him- luckily he was.

"Would have thought you'd been with Blake. She's on her break now, right?" Chace questioned as he took a bite from his Panini.

"Do we have to spend every waking minute together?" Penn snapped dryly.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Penn sipped his coffee and awkwardly corrected him. "Trouble in my boxers, more like."

Chace struggled to contain himself- almost choking on a piece of ham. "What? You can't get it up?"

"No… The opposite. I can't control it around her!"

"Oh… shit, man…" Chace's lips quivered, trying to remain in a firm line- refusing to laugh at him.

"What exactly am I supposed to do?" Penn asked desperately, as if Chace, the Adonis, had ever experienced anything like this.

"Dude, you only have two choices…"

"I'm listening…"

"You can either tell her-"

Penn interrupted, "are you fucking with me? I'm not telling her."

"Well, you can't keep avoiding her- she'll think you just don't wanna be with her."

"Shut up, genius- I know that. What's option two?"

"You need to get it out of your system."

"Uh… that's easier said than done…"

"No, I mean literally…"

Penn raised his eyebrows, waiting for him to elaborate.

"Dude, you need to whack some out. Lock yourself in a room for a few hours and just get it all out."

"Chace, man, be serious." He muttered under his breath, conscious that people might be listening.

"I am! Do you wanna get blue balls? It's your choice." Chace said with a subtle smirk, secretly enjoying this.

"What am I supposed to do about the whole adjoining room thing? She'll wanna hang out tonight."

"We can sort out Leighton taking her out or something." Chace answered nonchalantly.

"But Blake won't wanna go out."

"Badge, man, shut up." He clapped him on the shoulder and shook him firmly. "It's gonna be fine. You want me to pick you up some lube from the pharmacy?" he finally broke down into hysterics, which was ill-received by Penn.

Penn inhaled deeply, fighting the urge to punch him square in the face. "No, I think I got it from here." He replied, un-amused.

They finished the day off routinely and Penn hurried back to the hotel as soon as he was dismissed. He maintained contact with Blake, texting her throughout the day and asking about her plans with Leighton- making sure he had an open window to 'get it all out'.

'Have fun babe! I'ma have an early night, so I'll see you tomorrow Xx – P'

'I wish I didn't have to go out =( would rather hang out with you. See u tomo baby x – B'

Penn got up, making sure each entry to the room was locked, and he put the 'do not disturb' sign on the door handle- he had some serious business to attend to. He got on his bed and equipped himself with some lotion and towels before sitting there in awkward silence, wondering where to begin. It wasn't as if he'd never masturbated- he was a guy after all- but for some reason, it just felt too weird. What was he supposed to do it to? Pictures of her? Thoughts of her? Porn?

Why, at the one moment he really wanted to be aroused, he was as flaccid as anything; it felt wrong and dirty to jack off thinking about Blake- she was too sweet and innocent, and the thought creeped him out- but then again, watching porn when he had a perfectly sexy girlfriend felt as though he was being unfaithful or something.

Just as he slid his hands down his pants, he saw his phone flash- it was Blake:

'Leight is CRAZY. I feel like I'm babysitting. Wish u were here xx – B'

He shuddered, feeling like the biggest creep. He turned his phone off and chucked it to the side before finally getting on with it with a trusty porn site on his laptop- making sure to turn on private browsing.

Meanwhile, in Marquee nightclub, Leighton was keeping Blake occupied. Leighton was having a whale of a time, which is more than can be said of Blake. Nightclubs aren't as fun when you have a boyfriend and don't drink. Blake wasn't much of a dancer either, but Leighton gave her no choice, dragging her onto the dancefloor and looking enthusiastic enough for the both of them; in other words: she was shitfaced.

"B! Dance with me!" she ordered as she tugged on Blake's arm.

Blake thought it best to comply first time, as she knew there was no arguing with Leighton when she was set on something. She relaxed a bit and began to actually have a good time before someone came up behind her and snaked an arm around her waist, holding her from behind while he danced against her, whispering "hey beautiful." In her ear."

_**Ugh, pig. **_She thought as she wriggled free. "Excuse me…" she said, unimpressed. Leighton was still completely oblivious.

"Whassup? Come on. Don't be shy."

The guy was a smarmy jerk who was clearly only in the club for one thing. He wasn't unattractive, but he wasn't Penn. "I have a boyfriend." She said matter-of-factly.

"Well, I don't see him anywhere…" he took a smug look around before trying it on again and pulling her in.

"Get off me!" She released herself from his hold and pushed her way through the crowd, back over to their booth, leaving Leighton a little way behind, trying to catch up.

"B, what happened? Are you okay?" she said as she rushed over, worried for her after the dramatic exit.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The guy was just a sleaze." She said as she absently checked her phone, hoping for a new message from Penn.

"I thought he was kinda cute…" she mused as she eyed him up from afar.

"Well, he's all yours." Blake gestured towards him, a little exasperated.

Leighton sat down next to her. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Penn would it…?" she asked knowingly.

Blake turned her attention to her, wondering what she might know. "What are you talking about?"

"You two _are _together now, right?" she smirked and took another sip of her Passoa.

"Why would you think that? Has he said anything?"

"Is there anything to say?" she quipped back.

"You know we're just good friends, Leight…" she gave Leighton a 'just leave it' look.

"So why didn't you just dance with that guy? It's a club. It doesn't make you a slut."

Blake paused before deciding she might as well just tell her. Before she knew it, she was gushing about their first date and everything else in the past week. Telling her just how romantic he is, and Leighton was all-ears, hanging on every one of Blake's words- jealous, but happy for her at the same time.

"Oh my gosh, B, that sounds _incredible._ I'm so happy you guys finally made it work!" she cooed animatedly. "So what's he like in bed?" she asked excitedly without even thinking.

Blake laughed, knowing it was the alcohol clouding her 'inappropriate question' filter. "Not that it's any of your business _anyway_… but we're waiting." She smiled blissfully.

"Oh my God!" Leighton squealed incredulously. "No way! Jeez, I knew he was smitten, but _this?"_

Blake smiled stupidly, knowing she was the luckiest girl on the planet.

"You lucky bitch."

Blake rolled her eyes. "Leight, you change guys like you change clothes. It's not like you're loveless."

"Excuse me, Miss Might-as-well-be-a-virgin. Your levels of control are inhumane. I can't help it. I would hold out if I could!"

They both laughed and teased each other for a while longer before venturing out onto the dancefloor again- Blake, felt a lot looser now that she'd finally told someone was now finally able to have some fun. She assumed Penn was asleep, so she enjoyed the rest of the night, energized by the thought that she'd be able to see him in the morning, on their day off.

Little did she know…

He had to admit, after the first time, he felt a lot better- but the pipes weren't fully unblocked, so he carried on until he was pretty sure he'd lost about a stone in semen. He quickly got up, feeling grimmer than he'd ever felt and got in the shower after he'd gotten rid of the evidence.

_**Wow, you are really gross… **_he thought to himself. He was having serious inner-conflicts about what he'd just done. _**I mean, come on. It's perfectly natural. It's not like I'm the only guy in the world who masturbated today. – Yeah, but not six times in a row, locked in your room…**_

Penn got into bed, shut off his thoughts and went to sleep, praying that he would wake up with no 'problems' tomorrow. He wanted more than anything to just be with Blake and not feel uncomfortable, so he hoped Chace's 'get it out of your system' plan had worked.

"GOOD MORNING, SLEEPY HEAD!" Blake shouted as she battered Penn with pillows while she bounced up and down excitedly over him.

Penn jumped awake and then froze still from surprise, not knowing which way to look or how to defend himself. "Holy fuck!" he panted, trying to catch his breath and block the pillows that she was hitting him with.

She put the pillows down and took some time to catch her own breath. "Adjoining door…" she smirked and sat down on him, over the duvet. Her eyes widened a little when she felt a certain stiffness where she was sitting, but she tried to play it cool and subtly slid forward so she was sitting on his stomach. Penn had noticed her not-so-subtle shift and had quickly realised why. He was mortified and he was pissed at Chace, too; this was not the plan.

"The uh… it's the morning…" he tried to explain himself.

Blake sensed his awkwardness and did her best to stifle a giggle. Instead, she leant forward, took his chin in her hand and softly kissed his lips. "Baby, it's fine." She smiled sincerely, putting him at ease.

"Sorry" he chuckled to himself. "Good morning, beautiful." He returned the kiss and pulled himself upright to rest against the headboard, holding her tight while he did so. "You're up early."

"Truth?"

"Truth…"

"I was really excited to see you and I couldn't sleep…" she told him shyly, failing to conceal a smile, exposing her dimples. Penn gazed into her eyes, subtly shaking his head in disbelief as he smiled to himself. It felt good to finally be able to hold her, and to hear that she felt the same as he did made him feel on top of the world.

"It seems as though you were excited to see me too." She teased cheekily.

"Ha ha. Very funny. Come here." He rolled her over and showered her in kisses while he pulled the duvet over their heads.

"Mmm." Muffled giggles escaped from under the duvet while they kissed. He had one arm propping himself up and the other tickling her sides while he blew against her neck. Blake was probably one of the most ticklish people on the planet, so she was barely able to breathe, giggling uncontrollably whilst trying to wriggle free. She tried her best to beg him to stop. "Penn… st-"

He finally halted his attack and came up from under the duvet for some air, catching her infectious giggles. "I can't believe how ticklish you are. I'm never gonna be able to touch you."

Blake poked her head out and nestled into his side, draping an arm over his chest. "You are so mean. I could have died."

"Drama queen." Penn rolled his eyes and readjusted to put his arm around her while they lay in bed, both staring up at the ceiling. "What do you wanna do today?" he asked while he gently brushed her hair with his hand.

"Can we just lay here for a while…?"

"Sounds perfect to me." He pressed his lips against her forehead and cuddled her close, enjoying the silence.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too."

The two of them spent most of the morning in bed watching TV before getting up to go for brunch at Maison. Blake filled her stomach with pastries, fruit and milkshake, stealing some of Penn's, too; he never really had much of an appetite in the morning anyway.

"Glutton." He teased while he watched her.

Blake put her food down and pouted. "Way to make a girl feel self-conscious."

"Oh come on. I'm just saying. I've never seen anyone eat so much!"

"Well, I'm taller, so I need the energy." She winked cheekily and tucked back into her pain au chocolat.

"Oh _that _was below the belt. You're _hardly _taller. I'd be as tall as you if I wore heels, too!"

"No you wouldn't."

"I think I would."

"Are we fighting right now? Is this our first fight? We should probably commemorate this day." She smirked and took a sip of her milkshake.

"You bet this is a fight. What do you wanna do? We should probably go shopping and buy me some platformed shoes. You've got me feeling insecure now." He worked his best puppy-dog face and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Shut up, you. You're perfect. Don't go taking any growth hormones or anything." They both laughed and finally decided on just going for a walk and seeing where they ended up; as long as they were together, it didn't really matter. Penn found Blake's company entertainment enough and Blake enjoyed the way she could spar with him so effortlessly.

The sun was beating down on the stuffy Manhattan pavements, but it seemed as though the pedestrians had cleared a path for them; Penn had his arm hooked around Blake's waist, and hers was holding his. "Penn, I'm boiling. Let's get some ice cream or something." She led him over to the street vendor and bought them both Mr Whippy's with a chocolate flake.

"I didn't get a choice of ice cream?" Penn moaned.

"I buy, I choose." She nudged him and licked the tip of his ice cream.

"Oi!" he whined and pushed the cone to her face, so the ice cream skimmed her nose.

She let out an exaggerated gasp and pouted at him. Penn stopped her still in the middle of the street and gave her a cute little grin before kissing it off her nose. "There."

"Missed a bit." She smirked.

"Where?" he scanned her face to make sure.

Blake said nothing, but put her finger up to point at her mouth. Penn smiled to himself before using his free hand to cup her face, kissing her lips lightly as if there was no one else in the street. It was as if all the air had been sucked from Blake's lungs; even though she wanted him to kiss her, he took her by surprise. He rested his forehead against hers briefly before snaking an arm round her, leading her back down the street.

They goofed around and window-shopped for a few hours- not doing much, just spending time with each other. They saw a movie and then grabbed lunch at Subway before they headed their separate ways; Blake had to meet her sister, Robyn, who was in town, and Penn made plans with an old friend to pass the time.

Robyn is sixteen years older than Blake, but they've always been close. Even though they're only half-sisters, Robyn has always been someone Blake could turn to, whether it be for a girly chat or a shoulder to cry on.

"Hey, B! You're glowing! You look amazing. How are you? It's so good to see you. I missed you." Robyn pulled her into a tight embrace when she saw her.

"Good to see you too! I'm doing great. How are Baylen and Kate? I need to see them soon!" If there was one thing that Blake loved most in this world, it was probably her nieces and nephews.

"I'll bring them with me the next time I'm here. You can take them off my hands!" she laughed lightly and they headed to Robyn's apartment that she had in the city.

Blake was sitting on the sofa, texting Penn, while Robyn was making hot chocolate.

"Who do you keep texting so incessantly?!" Robyn pried as she came over and sat next to her with the mugs.

"No one!" she quickly stuffed her phone in her pocket and picked up her hot chocolate, bringing it to her mouth so she wouldn't be able to talk.

"It's a boy isn't it?" Robyn continued to stare her out, so Blake quickly took a sip of the hot chocolate, soon realising that it was all-too-aptly named.

"Shit!" she spat her mouthful back into her mug and put it down. "A _boy?_ Really, Robyn? You do know that I'm almost twenty, right?"

"Okay, so, we've established that it's a _guy…_ Who is it?"

Blake just stared at her blankly, trying to hide the smirk that was appearing when she thought about him.

"Spill it."

"Penn." Her smirk was plastered on her face as soon as she said his name.

Robyn's eyes widened. "Oh my God! Penn?! As in Badgley?!"

"How many Penn's do you think I know…?"

"Oh…my…God… Tell me. Tell me all about it." she pulled her legs up and crossed them as she turned to face Blake, waiting for all the details.

"Well…" She didn't know where to start; she couldn't stop grinning. "He's so sweet and _so _romantic and he makes me feel like the only girl in the world. Like he only has eyes for me."

"Aww! Blakey, that's amazing." She excitedly pulled her into a hug. "I'm so happy for you! I always knew _something _would eventually happen between you two. He never _did _have eyes for anyone else."

"Don't be silly. He's had girlfriends before."

"Yeah, as distractions, maybe. Are you honestly telling me you never saw it before?"

Blake shrugged. "I never got that impression… He never made any passes at me; I just saw him as my best friend."

"Girl, I hope you're counting your blessings. He's a keeper; he has some serious respect and restraint if he's never tried it on with you 'til now."

"Yeah, no kidding. It's been over a week and he hasn't tried anything…if you know what I mean…" she glanced down shyly.

"What?...by 'nothing', you mean like no actual sex, just other stuff, right?" Robyn raised an eyebrow.

"No… by 'nothing', I mean nothing except closed-mouth kissing…"

Robyn stared at her, gobsmacked for a second before bursting out laughing. "You are a terrible! Poor boy!"

"What! He wanted to wait, too." She attempted to defend herself. "Don't laugh!"

"Closed-mouth-kissing?"

"Okay, so maybe I'm teasing him a little… But I think it's romantic!" Blake began to question herself, wondering if maybe she was being unfair to Penn; she didn't think he minded because he acted as if he were totally fine with it, but he was clearly sexually frustrated… if this morning was anything to go by.

"Yeah, it is romantic, Blake, but you have to remember he's a guy… I'm not saying he's gonna go elsewhere, because I doubt he would, but he's practically waited a decade for you. You gotta give him _something _soon… unless you have a chastity belt that I don't know about?" she chuckled softly and rested her arm up on the sofa.

"Ha-ha. No. No chastity belt." She rolled her eyes and chucked a pillow at her sister. "I dunno, I guess you're right. It's not that I don't want to- I do. I don't even know what I'm waiting for. I guess I just wanted him to make the first move…"

"Yeah, I get that. But it's a lot of pressure on the guy too. What's to say it has to be his responsibility to initiate? You have to at least let him know you're ready, otherwise I'm pretty sure Penn will stay celibate for the rest of his life for you." Robyn knew this wasn't a laughing matter, but she couldn't help it; she was jealous, shocked and happy for Blake at the same time, but ultimately, she felt sorry for Penn. The guy deserves a medal.

"You're right… Oh my God, Robyn, I feel so bad now!" she sunk back into the sofa, clutching a pillow and feeling a little deflated.

"No! Don't be silly. Blakey, come here." She opened her arms out and Blake climbed over to rest her head in her lap. "I love you," she brushed her hair with her hand held her with her other arm. "and I'm so proud of the woman you've become. In every way. You got a good head on your shoulders, kid."

"Thanks Rob."

"You're welcome."

"Hey, can we get something to eat please? You made me burn my tongue." She rolled over so she was staring up at Robyn from her lap.

"Oh I _made _you. Sorry." She said sarcastically. "Yeah, let's eat."

Blake got back to her hotel room at about 9pm; she dumped her bag on the chair before she saw the bunch pink lilies on her bed, with a note. She smiled like an idiot and went over to read the note, which simply read: 'I love you.'

She brought the flowers up to her nose and inhaled deeply. They were beautiful. She went over to the windowsill and threw out the plain, generic flowers they had in every room and replaced them with her new lilies before putting them pride of place, on the table.

She got her phone out and with a cheeky grin on her face, she messaged Penn:

'baby, quick! Get in here! Help!'

She'd barely sent the message before Penn frantically burst through the adjoining door, panting. "Blake! What happened!? Are you okay?"

Blake just stood there laughing at him. "I burnt my tongue, she pouted cutely."

Penn got his breath back. He was relieved, but was also seriously unimpressed. He nearly had a heart attack. "You're not funny. Are you tryna kill me?"

"I'm sowwie…" she unleashed her puppy dog eyes and sad frown.

Penn had no chance. "Your tongue, was it?" he smirked and moved closer. "I think I could maybe help with that."

Blake stepped closer and put a hand around the nape of his neck, staring purposefully into his eyes; she was ready. She took her sisters advice and was the first to edge forward. She knew this wasn't the time for movie quotes, but she remembered the line from Hitch, where Will Smith said, "I said go ninety and I'll come ten! You don't go the whole hundred!"

So, she went ninety and held, waiting for Penn to come the remaining ten. He delicately held her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers. He didn't use his tongue immediately; he didn't want to freak her out. Their lips brushed and then as if it were rehearsed, both their lips parted, just a little, and he deepened the kiss.

Blake had a goal. There was a destination. This was more than just a kiss. She had to let him know what she wanted, so she boldly explored his mouth; she felt boundless and free in his hold and she didn't feel as shy as she thought she would- she felt safe. Penn's hands were running through her hair while one of hers rested on his chest and the other worked his earlobe. She turned him around so her back was facing the bed, their lips never parting. She gently pulled him down by his neck as she lowered herself to the bed; she hoped this would show him what she wanted whilst still giving him control- she wasn't ready for that yet.

Penn was in shock- he wasn't expecting this and he didn't know where it had come from, but he wasn't complaining. He mirrored her body movements, carefully hovering over her- holding himself up with his left arm, while his right cupped her face as he pressed sweet kisses into her neck.

As she lay there, she began to feel incredibly nervous. He wasn't doing anything wrong; he certainly wasn't rushing. He took his time with her, attending to every part of her face and neck while his arm brushed along her sides. But she still felt nervous. It was the immensity of it more than anything. It wasn't her first time, but it was her first time with Penn, and Penn was…different. He was more. Kelly was just a boy.

She tried to relax herself by bringing her lips to his. There was something about his lips. They had a sort of calming effect on her that she couldn't explain. Sure enough, she loosened a little and her hands trailed down his torso. Penn was still unsure. He was just as nervous as she was; he didn't want to mess this up. He was supposed to have it all planned out, but he didn't, and it freaked him out. He began to overthink and panic, wondering if he was going too quick or too slow.

Blake tugged on his shirt, slowly pulling it up his torso and Penn gave her a hand with it, getting it over his head. There was more urgency now and he started kissing her harder, getting more aroused by the second. His hands tentatively began to travel down her body, so slowly, they were barely moving. He unhurriedly unbuttoned her shirt, revealing more skin, one button at a time. He kissed every inch of her chest; as the buttons came undone, his lips travelled lower until he was finally at her waistband. He was going crazy, he felt as though he was about to come undone right there, but he maintained his cool and made his way back up to her lips, the way he came down. Blake remained silent, save for a few feint moans of pleasure.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear as he kissed her neck.

"I love you too." She breathed.

She kissed his shoulders while he teasingly brushed his lips against her neck. He came up and gazed down into her eyes as he fiddled with his zipper. He unbuttoned his jeans and laid a soft kiss on her lips. He sensed her anxiety as soon as his jeans were undone. He paused momentarily and brushed the few strands of hair from her face and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. This didn't feel right. He expected nerves; he was nervous too. But this wasn't how he planned it and the randomness concerned him. He wondered why she suddenly wanted to have sex with him now.

"Baby?"

"Yeah…?" she replied anxiously.

"Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine… why?" Did she do something wrong?

"I thought we wanted to wait?" he spoke softly.

"We do…we have. I thought you wanted to and… I'm ready." She glanced away from him slightly, feeling embarrassed. She knew she should have stuck to her guns.

"I do. I do. But I wanna make it special for you. I know it'll be amazing no matter what, but I wanna make it perfect. You don't deserve any less than that. I don't want you to feel like we had to do this now just because you thought it's what I wanted." He readjusted so he was laying on his side, and she turned to face him. He gently brushed her cheek with his thumb as he spoke.

"I'm sorry…"

"Are you crazy?" he eased the mood a little with his trademark grin. "That was…uh… intense. It was amazing. You got nothing to be sorry for." He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "I love you."

"This is all Robyn's fault." She laughed into his chest.

"I guess I gotta thank Robyn then." He grinned and kissed the top of her head. "So when the time comes… you're really ready?"

"Yeah… I'm pretty sure I am." She smiled up at him and kissed his nose.

"That's good to know."

"Penn?"

"Yeah?"

"Stay with me tonight?" she asked hopefully.

"Really?" he smiled. He wanted nothing more than to just hold her, and the nights in his bed were getting a little lonely, knowing she was only on the other side of the wall.

"Really." She smiled back at him.

They both got up and got ready for bed. Penn climbed in after her, getting under the duvet and Blake snuggled up close. She looked up at him contently and she caught a glimpse of the flowers on the table as she did so.

"Hey, how did you know that lilies are my favourite flower?" she didn't recall ever telling him.

"Lucky guess."

"Stop it." she hit his chest lightly. "Seriously. I've never told you before."

"Nah, I just overheard you telling Kelly a while ago." He replied nonchalantly.

Blake's eyes widened. "And by 'a while ago', you mean…"

"Like two years ago? At my cousins wedding, when you saw the decoration flowers and were gushing to Kelly about them?"

"There's no way you remembered that… I didn't even say it to _you!"_

"Babe, I listen to and remember everything you say…"

She had no words. What do you say to that? There's only one thing you _can_ say.

"I love you." She rested her head on his chest and held him tight.

"I love you too, beautiful. Sleep well." He kissed the top of her head and they both fell asleep to the sound of their heartbeats.

**A/N: SORRY TO EVERYONE WHO WAS EXPECTING SMUT. eeeek dont kill me. I kiiiiiiiinda gave you a little teaser. I know I said this in the last chapter but there will DEFINITELY be m-rated in the next chapter and then every chapter after that- I just wanted there to be a bit of a build up seeing as they were gonna wait a while. But thank you for being patient! Hopefully it wasn't too disappointing! Let me know in the reviews.**


	6. A Sponge Bath and A Bed Pan

**A/N:  Here it is! This was earlier than I was intending to upload, but I gave up with work and decided to write this chapter. Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews etc As always, let me know what you think :) ...there may or may not be m-rated parts in this chapter ... ;) **

"Morning, beautiful." Penn mumbled, half-asleep, as he rolled over to put his arm over Blake who was still sleeping- cuddling her from behind. She brushed her face against the pillow, slowly rousing herself, and as she groaned awake, she remembered Penn was in the bed with her. She took hold of his hand which was resting flat, just in front of her body and she locked her fingers between his, before bringing their hands up to her lips and kissing all over them; she was still barely-awake, so she wasn't sure whose fingers she was even kissing, but she carried on.

"Hey, baby." She spoke into his hand.

He smiled at the sound of her voice and buried his face in the back of her neck, holding her close. "Hey, Princess. How did you sleep?"

Blake rolled over to face him. "Best. Sleep. Ever." She said between kisses.

He cupped her face in his hands and smothered it in kisses. "I love you."

"I love you, too, baby." She nuzzled into his chest and he held her in his arms.

"You know it ain't bad waking up to you." Penn grinned and kissed the top of her head.

"I guess I could do worse," she smiled fondly at him.

They lay there quietly for a while before Penn spoke. "Hey, Blake…?"

"Yeah?" she looked up at him. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering if maybe you were ready to let people know that we're together? Like, just Leight' and the boys. People like that." He asked a little shyly.

"I think it would probably be pointless not to… I mean, I told Leight' the other day and I know the guys tease you about me."

"Oh, you know about that then…"

Blake chuckled. "_Yeah…" _

"Hang on, so who told you it was okay to tell Leighton?" he tried to look hard-done-by.

"Oh so you haven't told _anyone_?" she raises an eyebrow.

Penn cuts his eyes from left to right. "Okay, so maybe I might have told Chace…and Chace probably told Ed…so…"

They both looked at each other before chuckling together.

"Oh God. It's gonna be like high school again, isn't it?"

"Well, your high school experience was better than mine. I never dated the popular girl."

"Oh well. I guess now you are." She grinned and kissed his nose.

Penn laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess so… I should probably get ready. I gotta leave at half nine."

"I'll come with you."

"You don't have to. Stay here and rest. You still have a few hours." He said as he slid out of bed.

"I _want _to." She climbed out after him and began flicking through the wardrobe for something comfortable to throw on. "Gives me time to announce our official status." She laughed and casually pulled off her bed shirt, putting on her bra and talking to him at the same time. She wasn't fazed, but Penn did his best to avert his eyes, even though her back was turned.

"Uh… sounds good." He blinked and tried to focus on something else. "I'm just gonna go get changed. I'll be ready in ten." He smiled at her before disappearing off into his room.

* * *

It was the late in the evening and Penn and Blake were on set outside the Palace Hotel, all over each other, on the bench. They were waiting for the crew to sort the cameras out and they couldn't keep their hands off each other. They were the only two actors on that set, so they made the most of it- goofing around and being openly affectionate.

"I knew it!" Ed exclaimed as he strolled past, on his way to his trailer, catching them in a kiss.

They immediately sat upright. "Just rehearsing," they said in unison, with a smirk.

"Yeah, and I'm Winston Churchill." Ed laughed and leant against the wall.

There was a short pause before Blake finally fessed up.

"Well, congratulations, guys." He smiled and then made a crude gesture with a wink at Penn when Blake's back was turned.

"Fuck you," Penn mouthed back and tried to hide a laugh.

* * *

"Okay, so what was it again?" Penn asked the director as he prepared for his scene with Blake. They were wrapped in a blanket and were warming their hands around flasks of hot chocolate.

"I just wanna see you guys improv' first. I want it to be natural. Cute, goofy, etc. Penn, just be funny."

Blake laughed, "well, I think Penn can manage that."

He rolled his eyes at her.

"Perfect. But basically just about how Serena hasn't been very present and doesn't know what's going on with Dan."

"Got it."

"_Action!"_

Everything was running smoothly until Penn said, "two women, a sponge bath, and a bed pan." and even the crew couldn't hold it together. Blake almost choked on her drink.

"Penn!" she giggled. "Can he even say that?" she looked to the crew.

They all shrugged and looked at each other. "Well, he's not cursing…"

"Oh come on, guys. Everyone's gotta piss and bathe." Penn defended himself.

"Ew!" Blake swatted the back of his head. "Why do you have to say it like that?!"

"Alright, guys, let's go again. From 'bed pan'."

"_Action."_

"You're right. I wanna be here, with you, right n-" Blake burst into giggles before she finished her line. "How am I supposed to deliver that line when all I can think about is Penn's grandma and a bed pan!"

"Hey, don't bring _my _grandma into this!"

"Penn, I hate you so much." She said as she tried to regain composure.

"Not what you said last night." He quickly mumbled. She eyed him but couldn't hide her smile.

They went ran through the scene again, getting to end where Serena kisses Dan, and all Penn could think was that he couldn't wait to kiss her properly as soon as they were done. They both still had a couple more scenes to shoot before they were finished for the night, and the wait was excruciating. Having most of the cast and crew know they were together now _did _make it a little easier, but they still had to be professional- and that took every ounce of restraint Penn had.

* * *

The next day, Robyn kept Blake company on set, as she didn't have many scenes with Penn. Robyn's New York trip was coming to an end, and she wanted to spend her last day with her sister. And, of course, she wanted to find out all the details from the other night.

"So…." Robyn said suggestively as they were sat in Blake's trailer.

Blake looked up, confused, before realising where she was going with this. She'd been so busy with work, that she'd completely forgotten she planned to be mad at her sister for her shitty advice.

"Oh, yeah. About that." She glared at her.

"What?!"

"Your genius plan fell on its ass."

Robyn's eyes widened. "How?...are you sure his blood is pumping okay?"

"His blood is pumping just fine." She kept glaring.

She laughed a little. "Sweetie, you're gonna need botox before you're twenty-five if you keep that frown up. What happened?"

Blake relaxed her face into a light laugh. "Nothing really. Although, I'm kinda glad. I got back in after seeing you, and he'd put a bunch of pink lilies on my bed with a cute note, and I just melted."

A look of surprise took over Robyn's face. "Well played, _Penn._"

"Yeah, I know, right?" Blake laughed. "So then I initiated… and we were almost there… and then he stopped."

"_He _stopped?"

"Yes. He could tell I was freaked out and he said he didn't wanna rush it. But he was so sweet about it," she remembered fondly.

"Well that's a good thing! And you spoke about it all, right?"

"Yeah, we did," she smiled.

"You are unbelievable."

"Why?!"

"You really do get all the luck. You bitch." They both laughed together and Blake got up and started prancing around and teasing her.

"Oh my gosh, Rob! Wait, don't move!" Blake moved closer to examine her face. "Is that…" she gasped exaggeratedly. "Yep… it's a wrinkle," she giggled. "You really should stop frowning."

Robyn slapped her hands away and looked blankly at her. "You are so cheeky… one of these days, Blake… just wait."

"Oh, crap, is it contagious?" she widened her eyes.

"Yes." Robyn got up and grabbed hold of her, tickling her before they eventually fell into cuddles on the couch.

"I'm gonna miss you. I wish you could stay."

"Me too. I'll be back soon enough, though. I'm sure Penn will keep you occupied!"

"I still need my big sister, though. You're gonna get messages at all hours, which I expect to be answered in a timely fashion."

"Yes boss," Robyn laughed. "I'm so proud of you, Blake. You're gonna be just fine." She hugged her sister closer and sighed contently.

"Hey, you too. Keep popping out those nieces and nephews for me," Blake grinned. "Bring Kate and Baylen next time."

"I will…Although, you're a pain in my ass, because every time I tell them not to do something, their answer is 'but, aunt Blakie lets us.'" Robyn eyed her accusingly.

Blake smirked. "Oh come on. You must really be taking your old 'Teen Witch' role seriously. Lighten up."

"Oi, watch it, you. I'm fair with them."

There was a knock on the door. "Blake, hair and make-up in five."

"Coming!" She called back. "Gotta go," she pouted at her sister and stuck her bottom lip out cutely.

"Go on, go. I'll hang out here. Have fun!"

* * *

Two weeks later, and the cast were all on hiatus from filming after wrapping the first season. By this time, everyone had already moved out of the hotel they were staying in and they were all renting their own apartments. Ed and Chace had their own little bachelor pad together, and everyone else had apartments close by.

Blake and Penn had gotten even closer in the past two weeks- spending every waking minute together- going on dates, seeing concerts, watching movies, going for romantic walks, or picnics in Central Park. They did everything together; sometimes they did sleep together, but they hadn't yet _slept _together. They hadn't really spoken about it since their first attempt. They both just thought it best to let things flow naturally; everything was perfect, and they didn't want to spoil it by rushing into anything- there was just an unspoken boundary they respected and didn't cross.

Penn had brought Blake with him to visit his mom, Lynn, in Santa Monica; it had been a while since Blake last saw her, and she was really excited. They landed at LAX at around 4pm and got to Penn's mom's house just before five.

"Baby, I'm nervous!" she said as they got their stuff out of the trunk of the taxi cab.

"Come on, it's only my mom. She's always loved you. Just be yourself," he smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. "How could she not love you?"

Blake blushed a little but he did help relax her slightly.

"Hey, mom." Penn greeted his mom at the door, hugging her and then making way for Blake who was just behind him.

"Hey, Lynn!" she beamed before Penn's mom took Blake into her arms. "So good to see you."

"You too, sweetie. You look great. Come in."

"Thank you," they all walked in and put their bags in the hallway. "Wow, this place hasn't changed one bit! Please tell me Penn still has his cheesy posters in his room."

"All of 'em," Lynn laughed.

Blake sniggered at Penn, teasing him. Penn rolled his eyes. "Mom, seriously? Shall I just leave, so you two can have your little girly session and mock me?"

"It's up to you, dear," Lynn replied.

"Unbelievable," he laughed.

Blake hugged him from behind. "Aww, baby."

Lynn looked on, fondly, watching the two of them interact sweetly with each other. "So, Blake, what did Penn have to do to finally get you to go out with him?"

"He was just his perfectly goofy and charming self," she smiled and kissed the back of his neck, still holding him.

"Well, what can I say?" Penn shrugged smugly. It's the Badgley charm.

"Shame the Badgley charm takes nine years to kick into full effect," Blake reminded him.

"Uhh, eight years, actually."

"It's been nine years…"

"Blake, I've only known you eight years."

"Look, Penn, we all know you failed math in tenth grade… it's definitely nine. I was nine."

"Okay," he surrendered, "but you were ten." He coughed back, under his breath.

Blake frowned. "Lynn, come on, you must know. Nine years, right?" she winked at her.

Lynn laughed and put her hands up in defence. "Not getting involved. Not getting involed!" She said as she shuffled off into the kitchen, leaving Penn and Blake bickering.

* * *

They stayed and chatted for about another hour, before Penn excused the both of them, to go and see one of his friends who was staying at the Hilton.

"Who is this guy?" Blake quizzed him.

"Just Scott, one of my really good friends; I want you meet him," he replied casually as he drove.

"That's strange… I don't remember you ever mentioning a Scott…"

"Yeah, I just know him from when I was at Santa Monica College. You'll get on well with him; he's hilarious."

"Oh, okay," she smiled and kept quiet for the rest of the journey, just taking in all the California sights she'd missed so much while she was in New York.

They arrived at the Hilton and Penn lead her in, getting a key from the reception desk and heading into the elevator.

"Scott left you a key under your name? Does he work for the CIA or something?"

"Yeah, something like that," Penn laughed and then kissed her neck to try and take her mind off everything.

The elevator went up a few more floors. "Baby, I think you pressed the wrong floor."

Penn checked the floor he'd pressed. "Nope. That's the one," he smiled and then went back to kissing her.

She stopped him for a second. "Your friend is staying in the penthouse…"

"Yeah, he's loaded. But it's only for the night anyway. What's with the questions?"

"Nothing. I'm just intrigued about this rich friend I've never heard of. I'm nervous to meet him."

Penn put the keycard into the slot of the elevator, and the doors opened to the penthouse. "Scott?" he called out as they walked in. Blake looked around anxiously, and stayed close to Penn, holding his hand. "Scott?"

"Someone's gonna jump out at me in a minute, aren't they?"

Penn laughed. "No, baby. Don't worry. Just stay here a sec; sit on the sofa, I'll have a look in the bedrooms." He walked off before she could protest. He stayed gone for longer than Blake felt comfortable sitting there…

A few minutes had passed, and she was sitting there, feeling uneasy before Penn walked back, holding his palms open, as if to say 'couldn't find him'.

"What? He's not even here?"

"Doesn't seem like it," he shrugged. "Oh well. There's dinner waiting outside, on the balcony. Let's eat." He smirked and then opened the sliding doors from the lounge, to the balcony. She stared at him blankly and before she could question him, he'd already stepped outside.

"Penn!" Blake rushed out after him. "Penn, what the hell are you doing?!"

"What?" Penn shrugged. "Hungry?" He grinned.

Blake stopped still for a second, in a thought. "There is no Scott, is there?..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Penn…"

"Okay, so there's no Scott," Penn began, "can you relax now?" he got up, walked over to her, held her at arms-length and rubbed up and down her arms.

"So…the penthouse is…"

"Ours for the night," Penn smiled brightly.

Blake's eyes widened. "You bought out the penthouse?"

"Meh. You're worth it." He kissed her forehead and pulled her into his arms.

"You really are full of surprises. This is crazy. You are so crazy," she giggled into his neck.

"Is this the part where I deliver the line about being crazy in love with you? Because, I could totally do that." He laughed lightly and Blake ruffled his hair.

"I love you too. And yes, I am hungry." She walked over to the edge of the balcony and looked out onto the sun setting over Santa Monica beach. "This is so beautiful. You've outdone yourself, Mr Badgley."

Penn walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm glad you approve, Miss Lively. For a second, I was worried you were gonna get mad that I tricked you and then bail on me."

"And pass up a night in a Hilton penthouse? Trust me, if I was _that_ mad, I'd kick you out and stay here alone." They laughed together and then sat down to eat.

The sun went down as they ate. They were lost in their own little world, laughing and joking and just enjoying each other's company. They conversed over everything from Mickey Mouse to Obama, and the hours kept passing.

Blake took a break from their conversation to admire her surroundings again, before noticing how dark it was. "Woah, how long have we been out here?"

Penn absently checked his watch and then blinked at it. "Jeez. A while. It's eight thirty. Do you wanna head inside?"

Blake smiled a little. "No… No, let's stay a little while longer. It's so peaceful out here."

"Alright," he smiled.

They spent the best part of another hour laying out on the sun loungers and staring up at the stars. Neither of them said much; they just lay side-by side- fingers intertwined, and enjoyed the calm against the faint hum of the cars and the water, so far below them. Blake was so relaxed, she was certain she'd fallen asleep at some point; this was just what she needed after the relentless demands of the east coast working life, and her serenity was enough for Penn to know that.

Penn was first to get up; he held out his hand for her, and she followed suit. He silently led her back inside, closing the sliding doors before putting his arm around her. "Hey, baby, why don't you go ahead? The main bedroom is just down there," he pointed. "Just gonna go to the bathroom."

Blake kissed his cheek lightly and headed down the hall, to the bedroom.

She absently opened the door, to find a luxurious, California King bed, covered in pink lily petals, and at least a few dozen more scattered across the floor, in a seemingly deliberate way. Her lips parted, leaving her mouth open and her eyes staring in bewilderment. Penn quickly surprised her from behind.

"Only if you want to…"

Blake turned around and took his face in her hands and just nodded softly before their lips met.

Penn's lips curled up into a smile against hers. "Cheesy music or no cheesy music?"

"Do you really have to ask?" She giggled shyly.

He laughed a little and quickly pressed play on his iPod, and the room was flooded with the sound of Boys II Men – 'I'll Make Love To You'.

Blake covered her mouth to muffle the giggles that took over her. "_Baby!_ You are perfect."

"I try…" he grinned and kissed her lips, carefully lowering both of them onto the petal-covered bed. Penn was surprisingly not as nervous as he thought he'd be. After planning everything so precisely, he wanted this part to just happen naturally; he knew it would. The past few weeks they spent together had made them so comfortable with each other that he knew even though this was a big deal, there wouldn't be any problems like last time.

He quickly discarded his shirt, and laid lingering kisses into her neck while he hummed the lyrics of the song to her. "Mmm…that smells so good. Is that you, or the petals?" he said inbetween kisses.

"Shut up," she laughed into his hair. "Oh God, are you gonna make inappropriate jokes the whole way through this?"

"You know you wouldn't want it any other way, baby." He grinned and pressed his lips against hers.

"Hmm, true," she conceded and then pulled her top over her head and tossed it to the side.

Penn looked down at her and widened his eyes playfully, gawking, before she took his chin in her hand and brought his lips back up to hers. Their tongues wrapped around each other like caramel and their hands traced each other's contours. As the song faded out, he worked his way down her torso- kissing all over her chest before he unhooked her bra. Blake arched her back so her body pressed against his and Penn cupped her breast firmly- switching from one to the other- first teasing with his fingers until she hardened, and then closing his mouth around her, causing her first moan to escape. Her long fingers travelled through his hair and gripped at locks as waves ran through her body. "Baby," she moaned.

The noises which were echoing from her turned him on just as much as her flawless, bare skin against his. His jeans were getting tighter by the second, so he unbuttoned them and pulled them off- leaving his boxers still on. The music changed from Brian McKnight, to Ron Pope, to Alicia Keys, to Coldplay, mixed in with some of Blake's old-school favourites. It was so cheesy, but it was even more adorable, and it just made it that much more special. They spent almost the entirety of 'Far Away' by Nickelback just kissing and playing in each other's hair. There was a permanent grin plastered across both their faces, and their noses brushed against each other cutely.

"I love you," Penn spoke softly.

"I love _you._"

Penn's lips returned to her breasts, briefly, before lightly brushing them over her stomach, causing all her muscles to clench. He unbuttoned her jeans and slowly pulled them off, kissing down her legs as they came off and then back up the insides, until he reached her underwear- quickly disposing of them. He cupped her gently as he moved back up so he was face-to-face with her. He explored her mouth, while his fingers played in and around her already-moist centre- circling around her clit.

Just as she thought he was ready, he travelled back down her body, again, until his mouth was pleasuring her the same way his fingers were. She let out a faint gasp as he went down on her, and she bucked her hips- having no control whatsoever. Every move she made was a direct reflex of a move _he _made, and it was sending her over the edge. She was dripping, moaning, gripping, and whining until he took mercy and finally removed his boxers.

Her eyes begged for him as she took him in her hands while he kissed her, but her lips asked for it to last longer; each kiss more prolonged than the last. The slow pace became more urgent, and kisses became wilder before Penn reached for a condom in the bedside drawer. He ripped the foil packet open with his teeth, and sure enough, he tore through the condom.

Blake just stared at him blankly for a second before laughing at him. "Now you know why they say you shouldn't tear it with your teeth in the instructions."

"You've actually read the instructions on a pack of condoms?..."

"Baby, shh, don't kill the mood." She smirked and put her finger to his lips while she got a new one from the drawer. Penn rolled it on, without malfunctions this time, and took one last, longing look into her eyes before he carefully entered her. They hadn't spoken about it, but he just assumed she hadn't been with anyone since her ex-boyfriend, so he eased into it- his hands behind her back as he moved in and out of her at a slow pace, with the slow beat of the music.

He kissed her all over while he kept up the rhythm- not wanting to neglect any part of her; he didn't want there to be an inch of skin which his lips hadn't claimed. A bashful smile appeared on her face as he brushed her cheek with his thumb and gazed into her eyes.

Blake pulled on his hips, pleading for him to go faster. He granted her wish and drove deeper and a little quicker into her, and she pushed her hips up to meet his- her eyes rolling back as the pleasure washed through her body, leaving her breathless. She clung to him with her hands around the back of his neck, and her legs wrapped around him.

With the noises she was making, Penn knew he didn't have long left in him. The fact that he could illicit that kind of response from her turned him on like crazy, and his testosterone was running rampant. He plunged even deeper inside her and it was almost a scream she replied with. All her muscles turned weak as an orgasm ripped through her entire body, leaving her gripping onto his shoulders for dear life. Penn buried his head in her chest as he thrust into her a few more times, growing visibly more tired before reaching his own climax soon after.

She lay there in his arms- both of them breathing heavily- and he brushed her hair with his hands. "I love you," he breathed.

"I love you, too," she said as she pressed a kiss into his chest.

"That was…"

"Intense," he interrupted.

"Amazing," she said simply.

"Yeah… Yeah, it was."

They both lay quietly for a few minutes, steadying their breathing and getting their heads around what just happened. The music was still playing in the background – 'If I Ain't Got You'. It was as if Penn had timed it all deliberately. It was all too perfect. There they were, lying in each other's arms- stripped of everything except their love- listening to these lyrics which just seemed to perfectly sum up the moment they were sharing.

Once the playlist had finished, Penn sat up. "Bath?" he proposed. She smiled up at him and then they followed the trail of petals on the floor, to the en-suite.

The bathroom was littered with candles, and Penn dimmed the lights slightly. "Alright, so this'll take me like twenty-five minutes to light all of these. Just bear with me," he laughed lightly as he turned the tap to fill the bath and then picked up the lighter.

Blake laughed quietly to herself. "Baby, don't worry about it."

"I love that little smile."

She blushed a little and then kissed him slowly. "We don't need all these candles, baby. But thank you for the thought."

"Alright," he smiled. "No candles."

They waited a few moments longer before the bath was ready. They climbed in and then helped wash each other- giving each other bubble beards, splashing each other and goofing around without a care in the world. Once they were finally clean, Penn rested his back against the tub and pulled Blake into his arms. She let her head fall onto his shoulder and placed her hand over his heart.

"Oh _no,_" Blake whined.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't have any clothes," she frowned.

Penn chuckled softly to himself. "Baby, do you really think I planned all of this and didn't sneak a change of clothes and pyjamas out of your suitcase?"

Blake gasped. "You are sneaky!"

"Never underestimate the Badge."

"Never again." She giggled and flicked water at him.

"Don't you think you've already caused enough of a mess?" he gestured to the pool of water on the bathroom tiles outside the tub.

"Oops…"

He smiled fondly at her and kissed her forehead. "I love you."

She rested her head on his chest and replied, "I love you, too."

**A/N:****okay, so there it finally was! The beginning of the m-ratedness. It was hell writing this because I find it so weird- It's Blake and Penn! I had to try and pretend I was writing Dan and Serena. I had very strict orders for their first time to be really romantic etc but it's also m-rated, so I had a hard time trying to get a balance. Anyway, thank you for reading again :) reviews are much appreciated! (( Also, prior warning that there probably wont be another update this month because of school etc- sorry!))**


	7. We Do It Every Day For Ten Months

**A/N: **** Sorry it took so long! (this is actually earlier than I was intending to update, which is why it's shorter) As always, thank you for the reviews :) This chapter is reeaally random... Not planned at all, but I needed to upload something! Hahaha so apologies in advance. **

**This chapter is dedicated to Chiara for being so annoying. I'm supposed to write a 1300 word essay on what I love about her, to make up for the short chapter, but I wont bore you guys with that. But funnily enough, your obnoxiousness is one of the main reasons you're so hilarious. #takeitlikepardos - So there you go, arschloch. Love ya Kikiiiiii. **

Blake groaned awake at 8am, woken by the sound of footsteps. She sat up in bed, startled. "Baby," she whispered to Penn who was still out like a log.

Penn's eyelids twitched and he mumbled a, "Hmm?" back.

"Did you put the 'do not disturb' sign on the door?..."

… "Oh fuck."

Blake rolled her eyes at him. He face-palmed and then rubbed at his eyes before absently sliding out of bed and shuffling off out outside.

Penn was still half-asleep, but he did his best to politely ask the cleaning lady to come back after they'd checked out at 11:30. Once she was gone, he wiped the sleep from his eyes and made a half-assed attempt to fix his dishevelled hair, so he looked somewhat presentable before he re-entered the bedroom.

"Alright, it's sorted," he said as he walked in, surprised by Blake standing at the door, grinning.

She took his shoulders and carefully, but firmly pushed him back against the wall, snapping him out of his sleepy daze. He blinked at her, but gladly welcomed her hungry lips. He managed to catch a breath between kisses and ask, "What's gotten into you?!"

"I. Have. No. Idea. But don't interrupt me," she mumbled back into his mouth.

He chuckled to himself, but complied. "Wouldn't dream of it."

His bottom lip was trapped between her teeth as she blindly led him backwards, to the bathroom, stumbling over each other's feet and giggling. Penn hurriedly pulled off his shirt and began feverishly kissing her neck while she gripped at tufts of his hair. Blake had surprised herself, but she wasn't about to deny her body of its cravings; she couldn't control it. It was just happening. If she could see herself, she'd probably be mortified, but she was too involved to worry about any of that. They kept going till their tangled limbs hit the bathroom door, forcing it open.

"Owww, jeez," Penn cried out.

"Shh," Blake smirked and silenced him by trailing a finger across his lips. He grinned before pulling her into the shower, clothed.

"Penn!" she squealed as he turned the water on. The cold water came crashing down over them, sending shivers down Blake's spine, but the proximity of his body to hers quickly warmed her up. Their clothes were soaked through, but it didn't matter.

"I've always wanted to kiss in the rain," she murmured into his lips.

He looked up at the shower head as he held her face in his hands. "We can pretend."

Her face eased into a soft, innocent smile before she immersed herself in his kiss. Their lips barely parted for what seemed like minutes, and without a second thought, their clothes were off and strewn across the large shower floor. Blake's back was pressed against the wall, and Penn's body was pressed against hers, while their hands explored. The sound of the water washing over them was deafening, but peaceful at the same time, and it was so right, it almost seemed rehearsed. It was as if he had some sort of map of sensitive spots on her body; although, there weren't many places Penn touched her where she didn't feel something.

Blake was aware of just how much attention he'd been paying to _her_, and it hadn't slipped her mind that she hadn't yet done the same for him, physically at least. She was a naturally shy girl, and this made it hard for her to completely let go and put on her sexy façade, but she felt like a woman possessed this morning, so she decided to make the most of it, gradually lowering herself, kissing his chest all the way down. Penn was surprised but also excited, in more than one way; he silently let her do her thing, watching her head tentatively bob up and down on his growing length, having to steady himself against the wall when she changed rhythms and grew more confident. He held the side of her face and gently played with her hair to distract himself as she started to go deeper; he was struggling to control himself when he felt her tongue circle the tip of his penis, while her hand moved up and down it- eased by the lubrication of the water which was still showering down on them.

Penn was slowly but surely coming undone, and he really didn't want it to happen so soon, and definitely not in her mouth, so he promptly interrupted her and pulled her up so they were eye-to-eye again. He trapped her against the wall and smothered her in kisses, palming her breasts and indulging in her wet lips. His hand ventured south and he soon realised that she was soaked in more ways than one. Nonetheless, he made sure, and cupped her, feeling just how ready she was. He subtly rubbed her sensitive spot and made her twitch with anticipation.

"Baby, just..." she finished off her sentence with a moan when she took him in her hand and slowly put him inside her. Penn knew better than to protest; he held her hips and eased deeper into her, trying to find a comfortable position. Hiking one of her legs up, he got into a steady rhythm and with each thrust, Blake got louder, drowning out the sound of the water. She used Penn's neck and ear as a pacifier, trying to control her breathing. Her legs shook as he filled her, and as much as she held on tighter, she was struggling to stay balanced on one leg. Penn took hold of her other leg, and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pushed against his shoulders, lifting herself up so she had at least some control and could dictate the speed.

Penn held her under her legs and helped her up and down, and she held him close around his neck, whilst fisting his hair. She'd never felt him this deep before and she'd be lying if she said it didn't hurt a little, but although she wasn't a masochist, it turned her on even more and she picked up the pace. This was enough to send her over the edge; all of her muscles contracted as the waves ripped through her body, leaving her breathless. She let her head fall back, releasing a long moan whilst still trying to hold on with her jellied limbs.

Penn pressed kisses into her neck before he found his way back to her lips. Both of them were exhausted, but neither wanted it to end. The desire emitted from their eyes was palpable and it was enough to re-energise them both. He locked his arms around her back and relentlessly drove into her. There was no respite; there was a destination, and an urgency. Their bodies moved together, matching each other, screaming for more. The friction of their bodies against each other, with the heat of the water, was getting to be too much for them both. Their tongues were tangled and not thirty seconds later, Penn released everything he had inside of her and then slowed until he was merely holding her under the water. Blake rested her forehead against his, and Penn placed a delicate kiss on her nose. He used the last morsel of energy he had left to carefully put her down, but when he did, they just stood there under the shower, in each other's arms, just taking each other in and enjoying the moment. Neither of them spoke, but they both knew what they wanted to say.

They'd made that clear.

* * *

A little while later, they were both back in the bedroom, getting dressed and Penn was packing a bag; neither of them had spoken of the passion-fuelled session they'd just had- in fact, neither of them had spoken at all. If they were honest, they were both still in shock.

Penn was first to break the silence. "So… that was…"

"Oh my God, I'm sorry. Let's just not talk about it," she interrupted.

"Are you kidding me?" He put zipped the bag up and went over to her, putting his arms round her waist. "Why are you apologising?"

"I don't know… I mean, it was amazing…obviously," she tried not to giggle, remembering the noises she made, "but I guess I'm just shy." Her eyes focussed on anything other than his.

"Hey," he lifted her chin up. "And I love that about you. But you don't have to be embarrassed. It's only me. I love you and I want you to be comfortable enough with me to feel confident in yourself. You have no reason not to be… you were sexy as hell," he smirked and pulled her in closer.

Blake smiled a little, "I _am_ comfortable. I love you, too. I guess it's just that this is all really new and we're still discovering each other; I'm still discovering myself. I'll get used to it." She rested her hands on his chest and her eyes smiled at him, the way that only her eyes could.

"I look forward to the discovery." He lightly kissed her cheek and pulled her into a hug, holding her in his arms.

* * *

Later that same day, they were back at Penn's mom's place; Penn was making tea and Blake was in the front room, playing with Penny while they waited for Lynn to come back home.

"Hi, guys! I'm back," Lynn said as she came in with the groceries. A spritely Penn immediately rushed to the door and helped her with the bags, Blake getting to the door shortly after him, and they all went into the kitchen to put the groceries away.

"So, what have you guys been up to, then?"

The question was asked completely innocently, but Penn and Blake exchanged a guilty look before Penn made up a cover-story on the spot. "Just grabbed something to eat and watched movies," he lied.

"Oh, so you're not hungry then?"

Penn could feel Blake's eyes burning a hole through him. It was a terrible lie; they hadn't eaten a thing since the night before, and they were both starving. "No, we're not hungry," he lied again.

"Oh, that's a shame. I was hoping we could go out for a late lunch. So, what movie did you watch?"

Blake was starving, and she wanted to get him back. "Dirty Dancing," she smirked shamelessly as she put the soy sauce in the cupboard. Penn glared at her, but couldn't say anything to defend himself.

Lynn cracked up laughing. "Penn? Dirty Dancing? Are you sure? Did you drug him?"

"I swear!" Blake laughed. "He was singing along and everything. He must have seen it before."

"I'm gonna get you for this," he whispered as he brushed past her to get to the fridge.

"Yeah, we'll see," she mumbled under her breath.

"Guys, give me a shout when we're onto a slightly less emasculating topic of conversation," Penn said as he left the kitchen and went upstairs, laughing.

"Oh, spoil sport!" they called after him.

They put away the last of the groceries and Blake put the kettle on again to make Lynn a cup of tea.

"You know, Blake… I've never seen him this happy."

"Yeah?" Blake looked at her whilst she stirred the tea.

"Yeah," Lynn smiled. "You both seem happy."

"I am. I've honestly never been happier," Blake said fondly. "He's just everything you'd want in a guy. Like, you know those cheesy rom-com's where the guys are so thoughtful and make these little gestures that no guys in real life ever think of? That's Penn."

Lynn smiled proudly. "Well, I'm not surprised; he's smitten. You're all he ever talks about," she laughs a little, knowing he'd kill her for saying that. "I'm just glad you're both happy. He could have done a lot worse than you."

Blake laughed, "I'll take that as a compliment." She handed her the cup of tea.

"Thank you, love." She said as she put the cup down on the counter. Blake put an arm around her shoulder and they shared a quick half-hug before they went out to the front room. Blake had always been a very tactile person; it was just her 'thing'…her way of expressing herself, and Lynn received the gesture knowingly.

* * *

"Robyn! Answer your phone, I am begging you. I know you can hear this message; just answer the phone. This is urgent- and, no, not urgent like the time I called you because I needed a dress to wear; or the time when I made you come over because I was depressed about the Spice Girls splitting up. Jesus, Robyn, _please _pick up the God damn phone."

Robyn had one of those answering machines on her home phone where you could be leaving a message and she could answer before you'd finished, so Blake was planning on pleading into the phone until she did so, regardless of if Robyn was home or not.

"ROBYN. ANSWER. THE. F-"

"Blake! Are you insane?! The children are here! What's happened?!"

"I'm pregnant!"

"Excuse me, you're what?!"

"Okay, I'm exaggerating."

"How does one 'exaggerate' a pregnancy…?"

"We forgot to use a condom."

"Jesus, Blake, what are you, fifteen? How could you be so stupid?"

Blake started to wish her sister wasn't so much older than she was; she wasn't in the mood for a lecture. "It just happened! Who even takes condoms into the shower?"

"Blake! I don't need to know the ins and outs. How could you have not been more responsible?! You're telling me you're not on any other contraception?"

She realised she was at fault before, but the way her sister put it made her feel really stupid and irresponsible. "I know, it was dumb, but I didn't think, and now I need your help. Please just help me. I can't tell Penn."

"Okay," Robyn calmed down for Blake's sake. "How long has it been?"

"Two days. I only just remembered. It's been like 50-something hours."

"I swear, you're trying to give me a heart attack," Robyn responded dryly.

"Is that bad?! Is it too late?" Blake started to panic even more.

"No, you muppet! You have like 72 hours. Go and see a doctor right now. And for heaven's sake, get some contraception while you're there. My baby sister can't be getting pregnant."

Blake breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok. Thank you."

"Oh, don't you worry- we'll talk about this later; don't think I'm letting you off that easy."

* * *

Blake was brushing her teeth in the Badgley family bathroom when she felt Penn come up behind her and wrap his hands round her middle, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Hey."

"Hey, baby," she managed with a mouthful of toothpaste.

"So, I see you and Mama Badge are bonding," he grinned as he started to brush his teeth.

"Your mom and I have always got along well..."

"I know," he smiled, "but it's just cute, that's all."

Once he was done with his teeth, he kissed her on the cheek and went off to bed, leaving her to finish taking off her make-up.

A few minutes later, Blake joined Penn in his bedroom and climbed into his bed. "If we ever end up living together, we _have _to have separate sinks. I just had to clean up your toothpaste; that's not ok."

Penn rolled his eyes playfully. "Sorry, Princess."

"You're forgiven…but only because you look so adorable. You're hair's getting so shaggy," she laughed a little at him as she ran her fingers through it.

"Come here." He put his arm around her and pulled her body closer. She locked her right hand in his and played with his fingers. "Blake…"

"Yeah?" she looked up at him.

"I've had something on my mind… I probably should have asked you earlier… but…" she had a feeling that she knew where he was going with this one, but it still made her nervous. "We didn't use…"

"Yeah… I know. Don't worry. I saw a doctor today. It's all okay, we don't have to worry about that," she smiled, relieved that that was all out of the way.

Penn laughed a little, feeling like a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders. "I'm sorry I was such a pussy about it. I know it's just as much my responsibility, I just didn't know how to ask. But now that's cleared up…" he grinned cheekily.

"What are you suggesting?" she smirked.

"All day, every day, whenever we want, wherever we want," he laughed.

"We'll test that theory one day… would probably require something called stamina," she teased.

"Oh, that was below the belt!" he pouted and rolled over on his side with his back facing her.

"N'awww. You know I love you." She countered his move by climbing over him so he was facing her again. He conceded and cuddled close to her; he was glad she was so stubborn.

"Goodnight, beautiful."

"Night, baby," she spoke into his chest.


	8. Nothing's Gonna Change

**A/N: SORRY I'M SO BAD WITH UPDATING! School is kicking my ass. Thank you for all the reviews! Let me know if you have any ideas or requests, also. As always, gotta shoutout my most dedicated reader, Kikiiiiiii! Thanks for spotting the date mix-up... basically, we're going back a bit so it's late october, otherwise we would have missed some major events! This is a pretty long chapter and it's pretty random, but there will be another update for Chiara's birthday- nov 8th! **

The next morning, Penn quietly snuck out of bed and turned on the computer in his room while Blake was fast asleep in the bed behind him. As it powered up, he frantically rummaged around his desk, looking for some headphones to plug into his computer before the start-up sound woke her up. He just about managed to plug one in and he breathed a sigh of relief as he had a quick peek behind him to check that she was still asleep; she stirred slightly, but remained none-the-wiser.

He quickly brought up his email and hit 'print' on a document, instantly freezing as he did so, squeezing his eyes shut as if it was going to make the printer any quieter.

"Penn?" she groaned as she rubbed her tired eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Nuuuthin'," he said suspiciously as he turned the computer monitor off, swiftly whipped the paper out of the printer and folded it away into his messenger bag.

"Lies," she glared at him.

"What's with the questions? Come here," he said as he climbed into bed with her, planting a sweet kiss on her cheek. "I gotta go pick something up for mom. Come with?"

"Where you going?" she pouted cutely.

"It's like a thirty minute drive. Just picking up something from a friend of hers. Come and keep me company."

"Okay, baby." Blake tiredly rubbed her face before sitting up and yawning. "Oh my God, I'm exhausted."

"Well, you'll definitely be wide awake with what I have planned for later," he grinned devilishly.

"Oh, is that so?"

Penn replied with a wink before kissing her quickly and getting up to get changed. Blake was intrigued; her hormones were still going crazy so she was anxious to see what he had planned, but it really didn't help her disposition that he was being such a tease.

She slid out of bed and pulled on a short, flowy skirt and a simple, white cap sleeve top, and examined herself in the mirror. "I look terrible," she called out to Penn who was brushing his teeth in the bathroom. She continued scrutinizing herself in front of the mirror; trying different things with her hair: up, down, messy, plaited- dissatisfied with all of them.

Penn came out with a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth to take a look at her. He could do nothing but cock his head and give her an unimpressed look.

She raised her eyebrows at him and held her palms open to prompt him to elaborate on his displeased look. "Well?!"

Penn quickly went back into the bathroom to spit his toothpaste into the sink before reappearing. "Blake, come on. You look fine."

"I look 'Fine'?!"

"Let me rephrase that; you look gorgeous… like always," he moved closer and put his hands on her hips, "just relax. Why are you so tetchy?"

"I have no idea… I'm sorry for snapping."

He laughed a little as he stuffed a few more things into his messenger bag. "PMSing?" he joked.

Blake gave him a sarcastic look before she stopped to think for a second. "Ugh…"

"What?"

That would explain her tetchiness… and horniness. She'd totally forgotten about her period. She normally started on the 21st; she still had a couple more days before her monthly visitor. Penn was still waiting on a response while he stood there and stared at Blake who was lost in thought.

"Knock knock…"

She blinked and snapped out of it, but she wasn't about to discuss her period with Penn. It was way too weird. "Oh, nothing. Sorry. I just remembered I forgot to text my sister back."

"Oh. You ready?"

"Can we not eat breakfast first?"

"We'll pick up something on the way. C'mon," he put an arm around her and ushered her out the bedroom and downstairs to the front door.

"Baby, why are we in such a hurry? Has your mom already left for work?" She looked around, not wanting to leave before seeing Lynn.

"Yeah, she left at eight. We have to be there at nine thirty because she's gotta be somewhere else."

Blake was exhausted so she didn't protest anymore. She climbed into the car and fiddled with the CD player, skipping to her favourite song on the mixed CD Penn made her: Robin Thicke – Lost Without You. She started singing it to him while he was driving. Blake couldn't sing for shit, but it didn't stop her and Penn thought it was cute. He rested his right hand on her bare thigh while he concentrated on the road and drove with his other hand.

_**Lost without you. Can't help myself. How does it feel to know that I love you, baby?**_

Penn laughed when she got to the, _**"you wanna touch yourself when you see me; tell me how you love my body and how I make you feel, babe. I wanna hear it. I'm lost without you." **_ It wasn't untrue, which just made him laugh more. He changed the song to save her from singing the really high part.

She pouted at him. "I was enjoying that."

"I wasn't," he teased. He changed it to a lighter song and turned up the volume.

"_**Take a look at my girlfriend; she's the only one I got…**_

_**And I know it sounds so old, but cupid got me in a chokehold… **_

_**I mean she even cooks me pancakes and Alka Seltzer when my tummy aches. If that ain't love then I don't know what love is…**_

_**I know I'm young but if I had to choose her or the sun, I'd be one nocturnal son of a gun.**_

Blake loved it when Penn sang to her; he had the most beautiful voice, and to know it was only for her made her feel special. There were only a select few who had heard his voice and she felt lucky to be one of them, so she made the most of it, even when he was just singing silly songs in the car.

Thirty minutes past and they were still driving down the freeway. "Baby, where the hell does she live? We've been going for ages."

"Anaheim. We're almost there." He rubbed her knee.

"Oh, okay." She smiled and sat back in the seat, reclining it slightly. Penn strategically turned on the heating in the car in the hope it would send her to sleep. Sure enough, five minutes later, Blake was completely out of it. He grinned to himself as he took the turning off the freeway and quickly checked to see she was still asleep; she looked precious, sitting back with her face resting on her shoulder- so peaceful and serene. He wanted to readjust her because the way her neck was stretched looked uncomfortable, but they were almost there and he wanted it to be a surprise; he knew she knew this area like the back of her hand.

Once they arrived, he parked up and as carefully as he could, he took the key out of the ignition, got out of the car and crept over to the passenger's side, opening Blake's door. A warm breeze hit Blake's face and her eyelids twitched before she blinked awake. She looked around, disorientated, but she'd been here enough times before to know exactly where she was. She continued to sit in the passenger seat, with her head facing forwards but her eyes scanning the parking lot. Penn laughed to himself at her confusion and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Come on, get out."

"Your mom's friend lives in Disneyland, huh?" Blake shook her head at him but grinned happily.

"Apparently!" he laughed as he gestured around him. "C'mon." He held his hand out and helped her out the car, shutting the door behind her. She threw her arms around him and kissed him sweetly.

"I love you! I was worried we wouldn't get time to come. You're amazing."

"So you keep telling me," he smirked.

"That's because it's true," she pressed her forehead against his.

"Well, I know how serious your addiction is; I couldn't let my princess go without," he winked and put his arm around her as they walked up to the entrance. Blake was so excited she could barely contain herself. She hadn't been to Disneyland in so long, and she'd never been with Penn. It sounded silly, but she was excited to share something so important to her with him. Maybe it would bring them even closer.

"Awwhh it's gonna take years to get tickets with these queues," Blake moaned as she looked at all the people in front of them.

"Oh… hang on," Penn acted dumb as he dug around in his messenger bag and pulled out a piece of paper. "I think we might be in the wrong queue."

Blake snatched the paper out of his hand. "Is this what you were printing this morning?! You are so sneaky." She unfolded it and her mouth fell open. "Penn! Queue jump tickets?!" She clapped excitedly. "I already told you how amazing you are, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you might have mentioned it," he smiled. "Let's go!"

They had their tickets checked and then entered the park. Blake's eyes lit up the way they always did when she was there. It was impossible not to be happy when you were there; the rides, the tourists, the characters, the scenery; it was all so fantastical. While other girls her age went out clubbing to let off steam when they were stressed, Blake went to Disneyland; it was just one of her many quirks.

* * *

"I feel sick," Penn whined to a peppy Blake who was _way_ too enthusiastic for him to keep up with by this point.

"N'aww, Penny. It was only the teacups!" Blake hooked her arm around his waist and dragged him along.

"The teacups don't mix very well with hotdogs, apparently…" Penn looked queasy.

"Well, I had the same as you, and I'm fine? Must just be your weak stomach," she teased.

Penn managed a half-laugh which only made him feel worse. "No, seriously, Blake. I need to have a seat."

"Oh," her lively expression changed to one of concern when she realised he was really feeling sick. "Here, baby," she guided him over to a table in front of an ice cream stall. They sat down and she watched him worriedly.

Penn looked up at her, amused.

"What?!"

"I'm not _dying…_ I was just a little dizzy," he laughed.

Blake laughed, relieved. "Ok, good. Just had to be sure. I have a reputation to maintain here, Penn. This is no joke."

"I can tell," he laughed a little and flung a napkin from the table at her.

"Hey," she pouted.

"Hey…" he looked in her eyes indulgently as his hand found hers on the table. "I love you."

She smiled shyly and locked her fingers in his. "I love _you._"

He still had the ability to make her feel like a little sixteen year old girl when he said those words. It wasn't like he didn't say it often; it was just the _way _he said it, and how he would take her by surprise. She never knew where his mind was and as nervous as that made her sometimes, she liked that he was so deep and mysterious.

Penn leant in and disrupted her thoughts with a soft kiss on the lips. He kept his face close to hers and brushed her cheek. "Where'd you go?"

"Back to how amazing you are," she whispered to him.

It was as if they were the only people in the packed theme park; nothing else existed but them in that moment, and they just breathed each other in for a while. Their lips met briefly again before Blake pulled away. "I wanna go on Dumbo again," she said cutely; although it was more of a demand than a statement.

Penn rolled his eyes playfully and got up. "Gotta get a picture with Minnie and Micky first, though."

"Yes!"

They went up to the characters and got their picture taken with them and Blake was so enthusiastic, you'd think it was her first time. As soon as they were done getting their picture taken, a swarm of young girls surrounded Blake.

"Oh my God, oh my God are you Serena van der Woodsen?!" they squealed at her.

Blake was caught off guard but she wore her trademark smile brightly. "Hey, you guys having a good day?"

Half of them babbled an answer to her question and the rest begged for a picture. "Sure," she smiled and stood for a picture with them. "Don't forget Dan Humphrey over there," she pointed at Penn with a wicked grin on her face, landing him right in it; if she had to fulfil her role-model obligations, so did he.

He shot her a glare before greeting them. "Everyone _always _forgets Dan Humphrey," he moaned at them.

"Have fun, guys," they both said to the girls as they ran back to their parents excitedly.

After seeing the commotion the young girls made around the couple, a few more people recognised and approached them, but for the most part, people kept their distance and respected their personal time.

They strolled around the park hand-in-hand, making sure to visit every attraction- some more than once. This whole Disneyland thing wouldn't normally be Penn's idea of fun, but being with Blake and seeing how much she enjoyed it rubbed off on him and he could genuinely say he was having a great time. Her infectious giggles set him off, too, and they were giddily stumbling around the park with their arms around each other's waists. Other, less-expressive couples looked on enviously – wishing they had what Blake and Penn had. From the outside, they looked like the perfect couple; happy, in love, care-free... and actually, that's exactly what they were from the inside as well. While other boyfriends in the park had been dragged there by their girlfriends, Penn had made the gesture himself. While they focussed all their energy into refraining from snapping at their girlfriends in annoyance, Penn focussed his into making sure his girlfriend had an amazing time. And while the other boyfriends spent the day daydreaming about what sexual favours they'd get in return, Penn spent the day admiring how beautiful his girlfriend was and how lucky he was to be able to spend time with her like this.

Penn ruffled Blake's hair as they walked, sharing a big bag of candyfloss. He kissed her temple before putting the Minnie Mouse ears on her head and taking pictures of her on his phone while she posed.

"I think it's time to collect that piggy back ride you promised earlier," Blake smirked at him.

Penn smiled back at her and nodded towards his back for her to hop on. "Fair's fair." He crouched down and she jumped on. He held her legs up and she draped her arms over his shoulders. Penn wasn't the biggest-built guy- he was exhausted, but Blake was having fun and he was supposed to be the man, after all. He walked with her on his back for a little while longer before gratefully coming to a ride which they hadn't been on yet. "Here, baby, what about this one?"

"Yes! Let's do it. I forgot about this one." Penn carried her past the long line of people waiting to get on and they skipped straight to the front with their queue jump tickets. Blake tried not to look too smug for having avoided the queues but Penn smirked at her when he saw her look back down the line. They waited patiently at the front of the queue- Blake standing behind Penn, with her hands wrapped around him and tucked into the pockets of his hoody and resting her chin on his shoulder. "I'm having the best day, baby. Thank you," she said softly after a moment of silence.

"You're welcome. I am too. Now I see what all the fuss was about."

"I thought you'd been before today?"

"Yeah, I have been. But not like _this_!" he laughed softly. "This is the whole shebang. The proper Disneyland experience. They should seriously consider hiring you as like a personal park assistant or something."

"Yeah, I've already checked; they don't have that position," she pushed out her bottom lip.

Penn laughed, but he couldn't tell for sure if she was joking; you'd never know with Blake. She was always full of surprises.

"Alright! Next sixteen, in you get," the ride operator called out. Blake led Penn to the front of the rollercoaster and they sat down and waited to get locked in.

"Oh my God, Penn you're gonna love this one. Make sure your phone is safe in your pocket for when we go upside down, though," Blake warned him whilst trying to supress her excitement.

"What?" Penn blinked. "Upside down?" He could feel himself getting nauseous already. He could handle fast coasters and even steep drops, but one thing he couldn't deal with was being upside down. He looked around for an escape route but the ride operator had already started counting down. _**'Oh shit.' **_He thought to himself as the cart jolted slightly before beginning down the tracks. Everyone including Blake was cheering with their hands up in the air; everyone except Penn, whose face was as white as a sheet.

"Baby, come on!" she shouted through the noise at him and lifted his arms up. Penn's tried his best to look like he wasn't about to soil himself, but he was convinced that he was going to fall out. _**'How the fuck is everyone so excited?! We're about to go up-fucking-side down. Fuck!'**_

Just before they went upside down, Blake squeezed his already-tense knee as she squealed. _**'No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Oh shit, shit, shit. Shit!' **_ Penn's whole body tightened in an attempt to stop the rollercoaster with some unknown power. He screamed for practically the remainder of the ride, and was lucky that his shrieks blended in with everyone else's.

Once the ride came to a stop, Blake looked at him animatedly, buzzing off the adrenaline. "I told you you'd love it!"

"Yeah, you were right!" He lied, trying to get out of the seat as quickly as possible.

"Let's do it again!"

Penn's eyes nearly popped out and he went grey, but he didn't want to be the one to tell her 'no', so he allowed her to drag him back to the front of the queue.

'_**Here we go again…'**_

* * *

Later that evening, Blake crept out of the bathroom wearing nothing but her black, lacy underwear. She snuck into the bedroom and started nonchalantly pretending to look for some pyjamas to wear.

Penn just gawked at her. "Uhh…"

"Hmm?" she looked up briefly.

"You're just prancing around half-naked…"

"I can't find my pyjamas," she bluffed.

"They're right there," he pointed to the seat at his desk.

"Oh, not those ones."

"Oh…"

Penn tried to conceal a smirk. He knew what she was doing, but it was still working. "Game recognises game. Come here."

"I'm not quite sure I know what you mean," she kept her cool front.

"Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean," Penn got up and slowly moved towards her.

"Oh, you just wanted a kiss goodnight! You should have just said." She quickly kissed his cheek and bent over right in front of him, pretending to rummage through her bag, so her backside was uncomfortably close to his groin.

Penn did his best to avert his eyes, but he couldn't. He nervously ran a hand through his hair. _**'Damn, she's good.' **_

…

"Seriously, Blake, just come here, right now. You're being unfair."

She stood back up and giggled cheekily. "At least now I know you have zero willpower."

"Feel free to test it out whenever you want," he winked and picked her up, carrying her over to the bed and carefully placing her down. Blake lustfully looked up at him, waiting patiently. Penn immediately stripped down to his boxers and pressed his body against hers, kissing her feverishly. "My mom's down the hall…"

"It's like we're teenagers, sneaking around again," she whispered.

"Erm. I _wish _I was sneaking around with you when I was a teenager."

"Mmm, trust me, so do I," she pulled him closer by the back of his neck and pressed her lips against his, feeling him already hardening against her leg.

Penn could tell she'd noticed by her smug expression and he felt the need to explain himself. "This is your fault. I'm a man," he said completely seriously which made her giggle.

"Just as well," she replied seductively whilst brushing her leg against him deliberately. "I don't think you need these anymore," she played with the waistband of his boxers while they kissed.

Penn promptly kicked them off and tossed them to the side before focussing completely on Blake; paying attention to her with excruciating detail; trailing his fingers over her cold skin, making her shiver and clench until he found his way back to her lips.

Blake sucked on his neck, not caring that she was bringing blood to the surface; he was doing indescribable things to parts of her body that only he could touch, and she needed to channel her pleasure somehow. Penn reached for the drawer to get out a condom before Blake caught his hand and reminded him there was no need. They grinned at each other before continuing under the covers to muffle their sounds.

* * *

The next day was Lynn's day off and Blake thought she should have a lie in and let Penn take his mom out to breakfast to spend some time alone with her; it had been a while and Blake didn't want to be in the way, even though Lynn made it clear that she enjoyed having her around. She'd seen enough movies to be wary of the mother-in-law-hating-the-daughter-in-law-for-stealing-her-precious-son-from-her storyline; it didn't help that Penn was an only child as well.

She spent the time alone to reflect on this crazy honeymoon period she and Penn were having. She really hoped that wasn't all it was, because she was starting to get used to all the romance and sappiness. Nothing had gone wrong so far, and that scared her a little. The fact that that scared her, scared her even more, because she didn't want to tempt fate. She kept glancing at the clock: time was going so slow, giving her more time to run herself in circles, wondering if the only way was down.

'**Hey babe, hope you're ok there alone. We won't be much longer. I love you.' **Blake saw pop up on her iPhone screen which made her smile. She shot him back a quick, **'I'm fine- just relaxing. Take ****your time. Love you too. Xx' **before she grabbed her laptop from the bedside table and opened it up. She blindly logged into Skype and checked to see who was online that could keep her company until they got back home. She scrolled down her contact list and saw that her sister was online, so she requested a video call. She hoped Baylen and Kate would be with her; she hadn't seen them in so long.

"Hey Blakie! Say 'hi auntie Blakie!'" her sister, three year old niece and five year old nephew all waved at her.

Blake beamed the widest smile and waved back. "Hey guys! I've missed you all so so much."

"dis much?" Kate demonstrated with her hands.

"_Even _more than that, baby girl." Kate clapped happily. "Hey, Bay. How's my boy?"

Baylen was the much shyer of the two and just smiled back timidly, clutching close to his mom.

"Aww, he's tired today," Robyn answered for him. "How are you? How's Lynn?"

"I'm great," she smiled brightly, "Lynn's good. Just out for breakfast with Penn right now, thought I'd check in with you guys."

"Well, I'm glad you called. We're all going to mom's for dinner tomorrow, are you guys free to come?"

"Uhh," Blake's thought process was interrupted by a nagging Kate.

"Mommy, mommy. Mommy!" she tugged on Robyn's top.

"What?! Kate, it's rude to interrupt."

Blake just laughed to herself; even though Kate was a handful sometimes, she hoped to have a daughter like her someday.

"You forgot to tell aunt Bakie that we blaked cakes." The sisters looked at each other through the computer screen and tried to control the giggles that wanted to escape.

Blake knew it was mean, but she had to hear it again, "Sorry, honey, what did you say?"

"I _said,_" she enunciated- clearly frustrated with her aunt for not listening the first time, "_Mommy _forgot to tell you we blaked cakes."

"_Oh," _Blake smirked. "I thought you called me auntie Bakie."

"No!" She snapped angrily and screwed her face up.

"Kate, shh." Robyn silenced her. She needed to get her out of the habit of attention-seeking. "Anyway, so?"

Blake thought to herself as she fiddled with her messy blonde hair. "I guess so. I'll have to ask Penn and check he doesn't have anything planned. He's been surprising me a lot lately."

"Lucky _you._"

"I know," she smiled, "it's been the most amazing few weeks, and he honestly hasn't put a foot wrong. I'm just scared that this is just a honeymoon period. I don't want anything to change."

"I'm not gonna lie to you, B, it's not going to be perfect forever. You can't expect that. He's a guy. Enjoy every moment while you can. That's not to say it won't be like this most of the time, but you can't let yourself have such high expectations of him; it's not fair."

"Oh God. Why do you have to be so old and wise?"

"Oi, watch it. I'm not that old, and don't blasphemy in front of the children. They've already picked up those stupid faces you make."

Blake pulled a goofy face and Kate and Baylen copied her. "Who's your favourite aunt?"

"You!" both of the kids shouted in unison.

"Aww I love you guys." She started making kissy faces at the webcam when Penn unexpectedly entered and joined in, kissing her cheek.

"Hey, Robyn. Hey guys."

Blake's eyes lit up when she saw him, "hey, baby."

"Hey, Penn. We were just talking about you."

"All good, I hope?" he perched on the edge of the bed, next to Blake.

"Of course. Just wondering if you were free to come over to the Lively residence tomorrow for dinner?"

"Is that a formal invitation?"

"You bet."

"Well them, of course. We'll be there."

They finished off the call a few minutes later and Blake properly greeted Penn, without her sister watching.

"Missed you."

"You too, beautiful." Penn got up off the bed and made his way over to the door. "Be back in a second."

"Okay," Blake smiled back, sliding out of bed herself so she could get changed and join Lynn.

"Oh, and by the way, Blake…"

"Yeah?" she looked towards him.

"Nothing's gonna change… I promise," he said before he left the room.

_**What? **_Was all Blake could manage in her head. Was he listening to her call? She didn't care; she smiled, feeling blessed and remembering what her sister told her: 'enjoy every moment while you can'.

* * *

"Penn!" Blake's mom, Elaine, opened up her arms to him. "How are you?"

"Hey! Not too bad, and yourself? These are for you," he held out a bunch of flowers for her.

"Oh, Penn, you're such a sweetheart; they're lovely," she said as she took them from him. "Come in!"

Blake was standing behind Penn, waving sarcastically at her mother who appeared to be too preoccupied with her boyfriend to notice her. "Uhh… your daughter's here, too."

"Blakie, baby! How are you?" she pulled her daughter into her arms. Blake just rolled her eyes and laughed a little.

"Is dad home?" Blake poked her head around the sitting room and kitchen to look for her dad, Ernie.

"He's upstairs, in his office, just finishing up something. Go up," she smiled.

"Come on, baby," Blake tugged on Penn's arm which was stiffly stuffed into his pocket.

"Uhh… why don't you go ahead and I'll just catch up with your mom? I'll say hello when he's finished his work," Penn figured that would be a plausible excuse.

Blake knitted her eyebrows together. "Oh, don't be ridiculous. Come on," she dragged him away from her mom and they started up the staircase. Penn was thankful Blake's family had a large house and a large staircase so he could buy himself some time.

"Baby, it's your _dad_," he whispered to her as she lead him up the stairs.

"So? You've met him before; relax."

Penn stopped her as they were reaching the top of the staircase, wanting her to hear him out. "This is _different. _We're not just Penn _and _Blake anymore; we're… Plake?" he couldn't think of anything else. They both giggled together under their breaths. "I'm serious! He's gonna give me the talk!"

Blake tried to keep a straight face, for his sake, because she knew he was nervous, but she reassured him that her dad wouldn't do that. "So what if he does? Just be yourself; you've got nothing to worry about," she kissed him lightly on the forehead before walking up to her father's office and letting herself in.

"Daddy!" Blake poked her head round the door and smiled cutely at her dad who quickly got up and wrapped his arms round her in a hug.

"Hey, kiddo. I've missed you."

"Me too, dad."

Penn remained outside the door, standing in the hallway, unsure of what to do.

"Hey, dad, I brought someone with me."

"Oh, you did? Who?"

"Remember Penn?"

"Oh, yes. Penn," Ernie's tone sounded indifferent and Penn got worried. He figured he should pipe up now instead of cowering behind the door.

Penn stepped inside and gave Ernie a nervous nod as he stuck his hand out to shake. "Good to see you again, sir."

Blake covered a smile with her hand. She felt bad that Penn was so nervous and she wished she could tell her dad to go easy on him.

Ernie firmly shook his hand and smiled his warm, genuine smile. "Ernie. Good to see you, too, son. How is everything?

"Everything's great. Yeah. Can't complain! How about you? Looks like you're busy up here."

The two men continued generally chatting, discussing business and even briefly touching on politics. Blake looked on fondly at two of the most important men in her life, totally hitting it off. She didn't mind that they seemed to have completely forgotten about her; she just sat at her dad's desk, fiddling with some paperweights and watching them, occasionally chipping in with her opinions on certain subjects.

Her phone buzzed; it was her brother: _**'Where areeee youuuuuu?! I just got home.'**_

Blake smiled at the message and excused herself from her dad's office, leaving the two of them alone. "Just going downstairs to see Eric."

"Blake!" Eric called up to her as he saw her bound down the staircase.

"E!" she threw herself into her brothers arms and he spun her around before putting her down.

"Where have you been hiding?!"

"Was just with dad and Penn upstairs."

"Penn, huh?" Eric smirked mischievously.

"Don't you dare even think about it."

"I didn't say a _word,_" he tried to defend himself.

"Please don't scare him."

"What? Nothing wrong with instilling a little fear into the guy who's shtupping my baby sister."

Blake's eyes nearly bulged out at his choice of words. "Eric!"

"Oh, don't play the virgin mary. I know what guys are like."

"Not all guys are like you…"

"It's my duty to make sure."

"Eric…_please _go easy. He's important to me," she pleaded with her brother. She looked desperate and he felt bad.

"Alright. Best behaviour."

"Promise?" she looked up at him with her big blue eyes, hoping he would be true to his word. She and her brother grew up together and had always been close, but he was crazy-protective of her; she'd never minded too much before, but she really didn't want him to freak Penn out with his intensity.

"Promise." He put his arm around her shoulders and they walked into the kitchen together and sat around the kitchen island, catching up while their mom cooked.

* * *

"Mr Badgley," Eric addressed him as he finally entered the kitchen a little while later. By this point, Blake was already helping her mom with the cooking.

"Eric," Penn smiled slightly. "How's it going?"

"Good, man. Good," he held his hand up and they shared a manly, testosterone-charged handshake. Penn was aware of Eric displaying his alpha male status, and the last thing he wanted to do was challenge him on that, but he also didn't want to seem like a pussy, so he was too preoccupied with finding a balance to be too intimidated by him.

He quickly went over to sit by Blake, feeling safer in her presence. She took his hand under the table and placed it on her lap, weaving her fingers in his. She felt that he was a little shaky and shot her brother a stern glare. He shrugged back at her and carried on watching them intently from across the room. Blake leant into Penn, resting her head on his shoulder and kissing his jaw, knowing her brother was watching, and _knowing _it would piss him off. She knew today was an important day, and she definitely didn't want to cause drama, but she didn't appreciate her brother being such a dick.

As the hours passed, more family members arrived and everyone was sitting and eating at the dinner table, laughing, joking and enjoying each other's company. Lively family dinners were always a big thing, and family was important to all of them, but there was something else on Blake's mind.

Just as Elaine asked what everyone wanted for dessert, Blake lifted her phone up to gesture to her mom that she needed to make a call. "Sorry, mom. I just got a message that I need to deal with." She got up and Penn looked up at her, concerned.

"Is everything okay?" Her mom asked her.

"Yeah. Penn, could you come with me? I need your help."

"Sure. Yeah. Of course." Penn got up and excused himself. "Sorry."

She led him upstairs, not saying a word and he followed nervously, trying to figure out what was going on. He followed her into her room and waited patiently for her to tell him what was wrong.

"I really want dessert…" she sighed.

"Oh, well I'm sure your mom will save you some…?" he looked confused.

Blake laughed softly to herself. "For someone so intelligent, you can be really dense sometimes…"

"_Oh…" _Penn's eyes widened. "Here?!"

"Well, it _is _my bedroom…"

"But your family is downstairs having dinner…"

She walked over to him and whispered into his neck, "part of the fun," before opening his shirt up and slowly pressing kisses into his neck and chest.

Penn just stood there with his back against the wall, having a moral battle with himself… the battle was a losing one. "You are so bad." He locked his eyes on her as made her way to the bed.

"Be quick," she winked.

"I don't think you're giving me much choice," he chuckled as he joined her on the bed. She laid back and pulled him down on top of her. Blake didn't waste any time with unzipping his jeans and taking him in her hand, feeling him growing with each stroke while he meticulously kissed all over her chest. She did her best to stifle her moans- covering her mouth with his, but as his hand travelled south and slipped into her underwear, she let out a faint whimper. He expertly circled his fingers over her sensitive spot, getting used to what she liked best and her whimpers turned to soft whines when he slowly slipped a finger in. They'd barely gotten going but Blake was already dripping wet. She was aware of Penn's stamina, and she needed to speed things up before people got suspicious downstairs.

"Dessert," she ordered, smirking at him. This time, he wasn't so dense and he granted her wish, carefully pushing himself into her. She gasped as he filled her. The bed rocked subtly with each thrust and he held her tightly around her back, rolling over so she was on top-still holding her close so he could kiss her face.

"Hurry up! Jesus, Penn!"

Penn laughed a little and went a little faster. Blake rocked back and forth, matching his movements to help him out and speed it up. She sat up slightly and raked her nails down his chest, tilting her head back and playing with her hair. She tried everything she could to turn him on so he would hurry up, but that wasn't the problem; she didn't even have to _try _to get him hot- but the thought of her parents downstairs was making him nervous.

And with that _sexy _thought, he lost concentration and came inside her without warning, unprepared to even muffle his own moans of pleasure. Blake collapsed on top of him, completely spent and needing a quick breather to compose herself before going back downstairs.

"Compliments to the chef," she spoke into his lips as she kissed him and got up to fix her clothes.

* * *

The two of them guiltily re-joined the dinner table around fifteen minutes later.

"Everything okay now, Blakie?"

"Yeah. All cleared up now," she tried to keep a straight face.

As soon as Penn sat down, he felt that all eyes were on him and everyone had heard, or at least knew what they just did. He made a conscious effort not to make eye-contact with either Eric or Ernie for the remainder of dinner.

After dinner, everyone got up to help with the washing and clearing up when Ernie pulled him to the side. "Son, can I speak with you for a moment?"

Penn's heart stopped. _**'Shit.' **_In that second, Penn thought he'd blown it. Making a good impression on her family was important to him, because family was so important to Blake. If her family didn't approve, he was fucked.

His palms became sweaty and his hands started to shake; he almost forgot to breathe.

Ernie cleared his throat and Penn was sure he was moments away from dropping dead. "You know Blake is my little girl… and as her father, it's my responsibility to take care of her, and to make sure she's in safe hands with whoever she chooses to date… and after watching you two together today…"

At this point, Penn was turning green. He wished Ernie would just spit it out.

"I'm glad she's found someone like you."

'_**Oh, thank fuck.'**_

"Thank you, sir," Penn managed a smile through his stiff face.

Ernie nodded slightly and continued. "She's happy, and as long as she's happy, so am I. But I'm sure you know this drill: If you hurt her…"

Penn laughed a little. "I wouldn't dream of it, sir… I adore your daughter; I can't begin to tell you what she means to me. I'd give my life to protect her, and I give you my word that I will never do anything to hurt her. It means a lot to me that I have your approval."

Ernie smiled a little and placed his hand on Penn's shoulder. "Welcome to the family."

* * *

A few days and several more steamy sessions later, Penn woke up to find an empty bed, and he got up to find Blake.

"Blake?" It was 11am, so he wasn't too worried about waking anybody up, even though the house was unusually quiet.

"I'm down here, baby," she called from the sitting room downstairs.

Penn happily shuffled down the stairs. He'd grown accustomed to seeing her face and kissing her first thing in the morning, so it was weird to have not seen her yet.

He walked into the sitting room to find her curled up on the sofa, clutching to a cushion and watching America's Next Top Model re-runs.

"What are you doing in here, cutie?" he plunked himself beside her and kissed her cheek.

"I couldn't sleep," she said tiredly as she readjusted so she was lying across his lap.

He sat there with her, watching the TV and softly brushing over her hair with his hand for a while- no one said a word, and the house was silent. "Where are your parents? he finally asked.

"Grocery shopping."

"So we have the house to ourselves?"

"Yeah," she said, uninterested.

Penn was confused. Blake's sex drive had been _crazy _these past few days, and he'd gotten pretty used to it, and if he was being honest, took it for granted. Maybe she was just tired…

He leant down and started to kiss her neck, holding her close to him.

"Not now, baby," she shrugged him off.

"Later?" He grinned at her.

"No."

Penn furrowed his brow, confused. "What's wrong?"

"I'm on my period," she blurted out, so he would drop it.

… "Oh…"

She turned so she was lying on her back, across his lap, looking up at him and then started to giggle. Penn had a sort of _**Joke's on me **_face on and chuckled softly.

"So I guess that explains the high sex drive and moodswings…"

Blake just shrugged innocently and they cuddled up on the sofa, laughing together.


	9. Happy Birthday!

**A/N: **** HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIKI! Here it is: the last of your birthday surprises. random/cute/fluffy...kinky chapter hahaha and tried something a bit different in this chapter too... let me know if you want some more of that in the reviews ( you'll know what i mean when you read it) shout out to Chiara for Luigi ;) AND MILLIE FOR THE INSPIRATION AND BRAINSTORMING! woo. it's 2am. I have school in 6 hours and I'm hyper- sorrrryyy HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIKI I LUH YOU.**

"Penny, you're so adorable!" Blake cried as she played with her dog on the carpeted floor of the lounge in her New York apartment.

"Uh, I didn't do anything," Penn said, confused as he walked in, not seeing Penny on the floor.

"Uhm. Not you," she laughed a little and held Penny up for him to see.

"Oh, I see how it is," he pouted.

Blake rolled her eyes and got up, with Penny on her arm, to greet him. She gave him a simple kiss on the lips and smiled at him. "I wasn't expecting you so early. How did you get in, anyway?"

"You keep a key under the doormat," he laughed at her- mocking the lack of security. "I mean, really, Blake?" he kept laughing and held the key out for her.

She just looked at him blankly. "Okay, so it wasn't my most imaginative thought," she snatched the key out of his hand and laughed a little at herself.

"No. It really wasn't," he chuckled and gently stroked Penny. "Babe, I think she needs some volumizing shampoo or something; she looks like a drowned rat."

Penny snarled at him.

"Penn, she can hear you, you know?" Blake dramatically covered Penny's ears. "Don't listen to him; he's just jealous. You are _beautiful,_" she said in a baby voice as she smothered her dog in kisses and made a face at Penn.

"Well, that's not fair. Why does _she _get all the kisses?"

"Aww diddums."

"Just for the record, _your _hair looks, gorgeous, as always." He held her face in his hands and smothered her in kisses, just like she did with Penny.

Blake giggled and made a half-attempt to wriggle free. "Baby, you're gonna ruin my makeup."

"You don't need it," he smiled.

Blake changed the subject, feeling shy. "So, how are we getting to lunch then? Are you gonna drive?"

"Yeah, whatever you want. I can drive. But we're never making it for 2pm at this rate. Go and get ready!"

"Yes, _daddy,"_ she rolled her eyes and trudged off to her bedroom to get changed while Penn turned on the TV and made himself comfortable on the couch.

* * *

"Hi. Lively- party of three- 2pm," Blake said as they hurriedly entered the restaurant ten minutes late.

"Ah yes. Ms Lively is already seated. This way," the host made his way through the restaurant, leading them to the table where Robyn was already sitting, waiting for them.

"I thought you guys stood me up!"

Blake cringed when she saw her sister. "I'm _so _sorry. I lost track of time and took ages getting changed,"

"Don't worry," she smiled and kissed her sister on both cheeks, giving her a quick hug.

"Hey, Robyn," Penn smiled warmly and greeted her as Blake did.

They all sat down at a round table, immediately being waited on. They just got a bottle of water for the table while they looked through the menu and chatted. They all ordered different salads and went back to their conversation.

"So, are you guys doing anything for Halloween?"

"Just going to Ed and Chace's party…should be interesting," Penn answered.

"What's with the tone?" Blake laughed a little.

"Ooooh, first party together," Robyn interrupted.

"Yeah, I guess it'll be a little weird," he admitted. He knew what Ed and Chace's parties were like, and he knew they'd get him wrecked and he also knew there would be a lot of inappropriately clothed girls there. He had no interest in them, but he was already conscious about making an extra effort to avoid them when they were there.

"Why?" Blake asked. She hadn't thought about it at all.

"Well, you know how Ed and Chace like to party," Penn chuckled. "I've never been to a party with a girlfriend before."

Blake smiled slightly. She thought it was cute that he was worried about it. "Well I'd better keep an eye on you then," she winked and her sister laughed at how she evidently had Penn wrapped around her little finger. Everyone at the table knew Penn wasn't the type to look elsewhere, and definitely not with Blake on his arm, but Blake still enjoyed testing him.

"No need," he smiled sincerely. They exchanged a sweet glance before Blake went back on topic.

"Are you taking Baylen and Kate trick or treating?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Yes! I Skyped them today and oh my God, Kate looks _adorable _in her pumpkin costume and Baylen has a Hulk suit; Bart and I taking them with a few of their friends."

Blake squealed at the mention of Kate in a pumpkin costume. "Awh, I'm so jealous," she pouted. "I wish I could come with you guys."

"I'll bring them with me to New York the next time I come, if you guys are up for babysitting for a few days?"

"Would love to," Penn smiled. "Get the practice in early!"

They all laughed together, but Blake was reading deeper into it. She hoped it was a little more than just a humorous passing comment. Although she was young, she always knew she wanted a family, and she'd always wanted to be a fairly young mother; mid to late twenties. She had it all planned out, and although it was too early to admit it, Penn was part of that plan. She stared into her glass of water, smiling to herself.

Penn waved his hand in front of her and they laughed as Blake snapped out of her daydream.

"Sorry," she laughed at herself. "I would love to have them over for a while. Whenever. I already miss them and we barely just got back from LA! I can't promise you'll get them back, though."

"Hey, get your own," she winked at her sister and Blake rolled her eyes shyly.

Penn cleared his throat quietly, feeling a little uncomfortable. "So, how did your meeting go this morning?" he asked Robyn and took a sip of his water. "New movie, right?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Murder Dot Com. It's just a small role but it's a pretty interesting concept, and Bart's already attached to it, so it means we could have the kids with us."

"That sounds ideal. Are you any closer to making a commitment yet?"

"We'll see. But I think so!"

"When are you going to have a break? You've been working non-stop," Blake asked seriously.

"Well…"

Blake raised her eyebrows, waiting for her to spill it. "Well what?"

"I'm probably going to have about nine months off, soonish."

Penn's eyes widened and Blake choked on a bit of garlic bread. "What?!"

"It's still early days," Robyn smiled.

"Wow, congratulations!"

"Thank you," she smiled at Penn.

Blake's mouth was still agape. "Don't joke with me, Robyn…"

Robyn simply shrugged as if to say 'I'm not'. "Robyn!" She squeaked and grabbed her hand excitedly, not knowing what to do with herself. Penn watched her adoringly. He liked kids and always assumed he'd have some of his own one day, but he never thought about it much before he met Blake. She _lived _for her nieces and nephews and watching her with them and seeing her face when they were mentioned only made him fall in love with her more.

"Shh… relax," she laughed at her. "I haven't even had my first scan yet."

"But still! Can I come with you?"

"Sure," she smiled. "I'd love you to come."

"You should have probably waited 'til the end of the meal to tell her that," Penn laughed. "You've set her off now."

"Oi," Blake nudged him. "You don't get it."

"No, I do," he nodded slightly. "I think it's adorable."

"Well it's lucky the food's here to distract her," Robyn winked at Blake and gestured to the waiter bringing their plates.

Much to Blake's displeasure, the topic of Robyn's pregnancy was mostly avoided while they ate and they just chatted casually until they were finished. Their plates were being cleared when Penn's phone buzzed.

"I'm really sorry, guys, I'm gonna have to skip out early on you; I said I'd meet a friend at four. I completely forgot." He rubbed his head frustratedly, trying to figure out what to do about getting Blake back home.

"Oh, don't worry, babe."

"You want me to leave you my car?" He got his keys out. "I'll just take the subway."

"It's alright, Penn. I'll take her home. Doesn't make any difference to me," she smiled genuinely.

"You sure?"

Robyn nodded. "Yeah, it's no problem."

"Thanks, Robyn." He got up and kissed her cheek. "Good seeing you."

"You too, Penn."

"I'm sorry, babe. I'll see you tonight. Are you gonna be home?"

"It's fine. Go have fun," she smiled. "Uhm, maybe. Depends what time."

"Alright. Where did you put the spare key?"

"Oh shoot," she squeezed her eyes shut. "I forgot to put it back. It's inside," she laughed. "This is your fault for mocking me about it."

Penn rolled his eyes. "We'll find somewhere safe for it tomorrow. Text me when you're home. Love you." He kissed her delicately on the lips and pushed his chair in.

"Love you, too," she said as she watched him turn to leave and wave goodbye to Robyn.

Robyn waited for Penn to leave before confronting her sister.

"Wait, Penn doesn't have a key to your apartment?"

"No… why? I don't have a key to his," she tried to justify it.

"But you guys spend most of your time at yours anyway, right?"

"Right…but…"

Robyn raised her eyebrow and laughed.

"Don't laugh," Blake whined. "Isn't it too soon?"

"Well, I'm not suggesting you move in together, but the poor guy has to ring your doorbell, for Christ's sake."

Blake ran her fingers through her hair. "You think I should give him a key with his birthday presents?"

"What do _you _think? It all depends on how comfortable _you _are with it. I was just surprised because it seems as though you guys are already at that stage of your relationship."

"Well, I guess so… I've just been nervous about bringing it up."

"Maybe his birthday is a good opportunity. Take's a little of the pressure off."

"Hmm…" Blake thought about it. She knew her sister had a point. There really wasn't any reason for Penn not to have a key.

* * *

Blake and Penn walked into Ed and Chace's party dressed up as Luigi and Princess Peach from Super Mario Kart, in high spirits, and ready to celebrate Halloween, as well as Penn's birthday. Their costume ideas came from a long night of Mario Kart on the Wii, where Penn pointed out that Blake resembled Princess Peach. She took it as a compliment and decided that Penn's cheekiness reminded her of Luigi.

They greeted everyone as they came in and Leighton tore herself away from Sebastian to wrap Blake in a hug. "Hey, Princess!"

"Princess _Peach," _Blake smirked at her.

"Is this some video game geekiness or something I should know…?"

"Both!" she laughed. "Mario Kart."

"_Oh," _Leighton nodded sarcastically and Blake slapped her shoulder.

"You look hot, Superwoman. Dressing to impress?" she hovered her eyes over Leighton's exposed chest and then subtly looked towards Sebastian who was now chatting with Penn in a corner.

"And so what if I am, Miss Judgemental."

"Hey, no judgement. I don't blame you," she giggled and held her hands up in defence.

"You came as Serena?" Jessica said as she tipsily walked over to the girls.

"No! Come _on, _guys. I thought everyone knew Princess Peach. Big blonde hair, crown, puffy pink dress?"

"_Ooooh…_"

"Well, anyway, Princess Jasmine. You look good."

"Thank you, thank you," she raised her glass to her. "Want one?"

"Uhm… no," Blake laughed softly. "I think I'll pass for now."

"Suit yourself. Staying sober for what you have planned for later?"

"Excuse me?" Blake laughed.

"Well, it's Penn's birthday, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I just have a day trip planned for tomorrow," she smiled nervously, wondering what they were getting at.

"Ok, but what about tomorrow _night?_" Leighton asked shamelessly.

"Leighton!"

"You _have _to dress up," Jessica offered.

Blake looked between the two of them, mortified. She definitely wasn't that confident, kinky kind of girl, and being ambushed about her plans for her boyfriend's birthday made her uncomfortable, to say the least, but thanks to the vodka-buzz, neither Jess nor Leighton had any intentions of going easy on her.

"Guys, I don't have anything to _dress up _in. It's not happening."

"You're not gonna give the poor guy some birthday sex?!" Leighton said a little too loudly. Blake's eyes widened, hoping no one heard.

"No! Well, yes, but- Oh my God! Why am I explaining this to you!"

"Well, if it's the get-up that's the problem, I have a sexy cop outfit you can borrow," Jess volunteered.

"Ew," Blake cringed a little at the thought of Jess using it. "No thank you."

"What? It's clean!"

"No, really, it's fine," Blake laughed awkwardly.

"What are you lovely ladies talking about?" Penn said as he snuck up behind Blake, wrapping his arms around her.

Leighton opened her mouth, "Oh just-"

"-just about what inspired our costumes," Blake finished off for her.

"Totally," Jess nodded. "_Costumes._"

Blake shot Jess a look.

"Oh cool. Can I borrow my girlfriend for just a second?"

"Sure," the girls both said in unison before Leighton took hold of Blake's arm and whispered, "catch ya later, officer Lively," into her ear.

"I hate you," Blake glared at them jokily as she walked off with Penn.

* * *

A few hours later, Blake was sat on a slightly-intoxicated Penn's lap, on a couch with a few others. They were all just chatting casually when Blake checked her phone for the time. – 23:58

Not too long later, she hopped off his lap and he looked up at her, wondering why. "What's up?"

"Come on," she smiled and helped him off the couch by the straps of his Luigi dungarees.

"Where are we going?"

"Nowhere," she smirked, standing there with him, surrounded by everyone else.

'_**3…2…1… HAPPY 21st, BADGLEY!' **_the whole apartment erupted into cheers, and Penn stood there, stunned.

"Happy birthday, baby." She took his green hat off his head and kissed him. He smiled into her lips and held her tight. It was nice to know that everyone remembered- especially Blake.

"Wow. Thank you, guys." Penn raised a Corona bottle. "Here's to getting absolutely shitfaced in the name of legal drinking!"

"Oh God," Blake laughed at him. "Don't be a hero."

"It's fine, you're designated driver," Penn winked at her.

Blake rolled her eyes at him and kissed his cheek. "Go have fun, Luigi."

* * *

It was the morning of Penn's birthday, and Blake was already up, preparing breakfast for him- his favourite: waffles with maple syrup and chocolate chips with coffee, and she made waffles with berries for herself. No matter how hard she tried to sleep in with him, she couldn't contain her excitement and got out of bed at 7:30 to make sure everything was perfect with his presents before she started on breakfast. Penn, on the other hand, was still deadout from the night before and was asleep, getting some much-needed rest for the day Blake had planned for him.

"Good morning, birthday boy," she said softly as she crept into the bedroom with breakfast. The smell of the waffles, more than anything, woke him up and he turned onto his back and smiled when he saw her.

"Hey. Wow. You really went all-out. This is amazing," he said as he sat up and Blake put the breakfast tray on his legs and kissed him. "This all for me?" he joked.

"It may be your birthday, but don't be greedy." She got in bed with him and started tucking into her waffles. "Sorry I woke you so early, but I was way too excited to wait any longer."

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad you did," he said sincerely with a mouthful of waffle.

"Hungry?" she laughed at the pace at which he was finishing off his plate.

"Mhmm," he nodded.

"Well, the sooner you finish, the sooner you get your presents!" she grinned like a kid, as if it were her own birthday.

"Oh, plural, huh?"

"You bet."

* * *

Not too long later, they'd finished breakfast and were sitting up in bed, laughing about the night before when Blake decided she couldn't take the suspense anymore.

"You ready for your gifts?" she beamed.

"I am indeed. I'm intrigued!"

Blake hurried off and came back with one medium sized box, wrapped up, with three small boxes sitting on top. "Open this one first!" she tapped on the larger box.

Penn hesitated for a second, wondering what it could be, before he began tearing at the tightly-wrapped paper. His eyebrows raised when he saw the famous crown emblem on the lid of the dark mahogany box. He stopped unwrapping for a moment and looked at Blake, speechless.

"No… Blake… are you- you can't be-"

"Just open it!" Blake said impatiently.

Penn opened the lid of the box, uncovering a gold, Rolex Daytona Cosmograph watch, with a brown alligator strap. His eyes were fixed on the dials, trying to find the giveaway that it was fake. "Where did you get this?!"

"Uhm…Rolex?" she giggled, watching his face.

"But. Do you have any idea how expensive these things are?"

"Do you have any idea how much you go on about wanting one?"

"I didn't think you'd _buy_ me one! Wow, baby, I have no idea what to say. This is unbelievable. Thank you so much." Penn leant over and smothered her cheek in kisses while he hugged her.

"You're welcome, baby."

"Oh, _Dayton_a… I see what you did there," he laughed.

"I had to," she smirked. "Try it on!"

Penn wasted no time getting the watch out the box and locked onto his wrist. He twisted his arm round, admiring it from different angles. "Wow… I own a rolex," they laughed together.

"Ok, you can stare at that later. Open this one." She handed him a palm-sized box, and waited anxiously for him to open it.

Penn took the lid off the make-shift box and saw a vaguely familiar homemade bracelet, made of thin, pink thread and blue beads, with white, cube-shaped beads in the middle, stamped with letters spelling out 'Blake'.

Penn had a perplexed look on his face and he looked up at a smug Blake, who was waiting to see if he remembered.

"Is this…?"

Blake nodded furiously with a huge grin on her face.

**Flashback**

"**Penn, come on. Just go inside," Lynn urged her twelve year old son who was nervously waiting in the car, watching a bunch of kids enter Blake's house.**

"**Mom, she's gonna hate it; it's stupid," he tossed the small box onto the dashboard of the car and hung his head hopelessly.**

**Lynn picked it up off the dashboard and handed it back to him. "Hey, no it's not. I think it's sweet. She'll love it."**

"**It's your job to say that. Mom, I don't even know any of these kids. Maybe we should just go home," he mumbled.**

"**No. We're here now. Come on. You know **_**Blake**_**, and Blake invited you. Don't worry about the other kids."**

"**You know that's not true; Blake's **_**mom **_**invited me." Penn was doubting himself more with every second that passed and he knew that if he didn't just go in now, he never would.**

**Much to his embarrassment, his mom got out of the car and kissed him goodbye before he went inside. He was greeted by Elaine at the door who overcompensated in trying to make him feel welcome, knowing that he didn't know most of the people there. "Blakie's just down there in the front room. Go say hi," she ushered him along.**

**Penn found her in the front room, but awkwardly hung back near the door when he saw she was busy with some of her friends. Just as Blake got up to leave the room, Penn looked around, trying to occupy himself with something other than the doorframe. "Oh hey! Penn, you made it," Blake smiled happily. "What are you doing?"**

"**Oh, uh…nothing. Just got here," he did his best to smile naturally. "Happy birthday."**

"**Thank you. Hey, these are my friends, Olivia, Dylan, Jess, Rosie, Amy and Jacob," she introduced them all, reeling off the names as she pointed at one of her groups of friends who were sat on the couch. They all smiled nicely enough at him, and he felt somewhat more comfortable. "Just go hang out with them. I'll be back in a bit."**

"**Ok," he smiled sheepishly. "Oh, hang on, I, uh…" he debated whether he should just keep his gift for her stuffed in his pocket or if he should just give it to her. "I have something for you." He took it out of his pocket and began rambling. "It's stupid. It's just- I don't even- my mom said I should," he tried to explain himself, but he only ended up sounding more ridiculous.**

**Blake tried not to, but she chuckled a little at his stuttering. "Thank you," she took the box from him and removed the lid, seeing what resembled the friendship bracelets that she and her friends used to make for each other when they were younger. There were blue beads on pink thread and the white beads in the middle spelt her name out. She smiled, but mostly because she now knew why he was so nervous to give it to her. It **_**was **_**a little strange- especially for a twelfth birthday, but she thought it was cute of him. "Aw, thanks, Penn. This is so sweet. Did you make this?"**

"**Uh, yeah," he nodded shyly. "You're welcome."**

**She slipped it onto her wrist and wore it proudly.**

"**Oh, you don't have to-"**

"**No, I want to," she smiled genuinely. "I love it. Thank you." She kissed him briefly on the cheek, and before he knew it, she'd already gone and he was just standing there against the doorframe, dumbfounded and fighting the urge to touch his cheek where she just kissed him. He'd played a hundred different scenarios in his mind about how she would react to the cheesy gift, but **_**none **_**of them included a **_**kiss. **_

**He knew he liked Blake before, but August 25****th****, 1999, was the day he knew he was **_**in love **_**with her.**

"But…"

"But what?" Blake smiled as if it were no big deal.

"You _kept _this?"

"Of course I kept it!"

"I remember that day…" he reminisced fondly. "It was the first time-"

"The first time I kissed you… and you just stood there like you'd seen a ghost," she giggled.

"Well, do you _blame _me? I was infatuated. Even with your twelve-year-old self."

"N'aww."

"I guess some things never change," he said as he fiddled with the bracelet.

"Which is _why _I thought I should make one of my own…"

"What?"

Blake opened another of the small boxes and took out an identical bracelet, except with the letters spelling out 'Penn.' "His and hers," she explained. "You have mine and I have yours," she said as she slipped the bracelet onto her wrist, the same way he watched her do it eight years ago.

"Wow," was all he could manage as he put his own on. "I love you so much. This is incredible. I don't even have any words." He rubbed his face, still speechless.

"You don't need to say anything." Blake couldn't wipe the huge smile off her face. She wanted him to soak it all up first, but she couldn't wait any longer before giving him his final box to open. "Here, there's one more," she pushed it closer to him. It was the same size as the other small boxes and he wondered what else he could have given her all those years ago.

He opened it and saw the spare key to her apartment. "Uhh…" he look at her confused. "This is your spare key," he laughed.

"Not anymore," she hinted. "Look, I'm not saying we should move in together, but we spend so much time together here anyway, I thought it was about time you had your own key."

Penn's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Are you sure? You know by giving me this, it means that you'll never get rid of me," he grinned at her.

"That was my plan," she winked back at him.

"Best. Birthday. In the history. Of Birthdays." He said between kisses.

"Just getting started," she teased.

* * *

After a long, fun-filled day spent together at Bronx Zoo, Blake, Penn and a few of his friends, including their cast-mates were all out at Marquee nightclub to celebrate his 21st. Blake wasn't normally the nightclub type, and she was the only sober person there, but she had fun, nonetheless, because she knew it was what Penn wanted to do.

Penn hardly let her out of his sight all night, proudly showing her off and being openly affectionate, making sure that any incoming girls knew he was taken and wasn't interested.

At about 1am, Blake whispered in his ear that she had to leave. "There's one more present I have for you back at yours," she explained.

"Oh, can I come now?" he asked, interested. After the day they'd had, he wasn't sure how it could get much better.

"No, you stay and have fun for a little while longer. It's gonna take some preparation."

"Hmm," he raised his eyebrow drunkenly.

"I'm gonna need to borrow your key."

Penn absently handed over his key and she kissed him goodbye before disappearing into the crowds.

On the way back to Penn's apartment, Blake picked up something she'd got her friend to buy for her before heading back to the apartment to change into it. It was a tight, short, navy blue cop outfit, complete with handcuffs on the belt.

Blake looked at herself in Penn's bedroom mirror and cringed as she lowered the zip, exposing a little more cleavage. The longer she stared at herself, the more she just wanted to take it off. It definitely was not her and she cursed Jess and Leighton for talking her into it.

"Marilyn. Just channel Marilyn," she told herself into the mirror.

Whenever Blake was nervous before an event, she liked to pretend she was Marilyn Monroe; it made her feel confident and like she could take anything on, and she knew this was the only way she would be able to go through with it.

Just as she was scrutinizing herself in the mirror, she heard the doorbell ring.

"Crap!"

She took a moment to compose herself and get in character before heading to the door. _**'Marilyn, Marilyn, Marilyn.'**_

"A little birdy told me you've been a _very _bad boy," she said in her most seductive voice whilst she opened the door, preparing her cuffs.

Blake froze like a deer in headlights when she looked up to see a man she'd never seen before; it definitely wasn't Penn. She was mortified and quickly hid her body behind the door, only poking her head round. She hadn't blinked once since she opened the door.

"Uhh, hi."

"Hi, this isn't Robert's apartment is it…?" he asked awkwardly.

"Um," she swallowed uncomfortably. "No, sorry. You have the wrong door…"

"Oh. Sorry to…disturbyou."

Blake quickly shut the door, feeling hugely conscious and unbelievably embarrassed, even if she never saw that guy again. She paced around the apartment, trying to keep herself busy while she waited for Penn to come back home.

Not too long later, the doorbell rang again and she rushed to the door, checking through the peephole this time. Once she was sure it was Penn, she took a deep breath. _**'Here we go, Marilyn.'**_

She repeated the same line she'd rehearsed on the last guy and Penn grinned impishly at her as he looked her up and down. He was a little buzzed off the alcohol, but he was mostly sober, and he was glad for that, because he wanted to remember this in the morning.

"I'm going to have to frisk you."

"Go ahead," he smirked.

"Let's take this into a more private room…" she led him to his bedroom and he watched her walk; the outfit was dangerously high and he enjoyed the view as he followed. "Up against the wall," she ordered.

"Yes, officer," he played along and faced the wall.

"Turn around. Hands above your head." Blake's tried to remind herself she was an actress as her serious face was folding.

Penn did as told and she whipped out the handcuffs, cuffing his hands together above his head. She chewed her cheeks to stay poised, but Penn caught the slight flaring of her nostrils and winked at her. He thought it was pretty funny that she was actually doing this. He was grateful for whoever talked her into it, because he knew full well that she didn't come up with this alone.

Penn's back was against the wall with his hands above him and Blake stepped closer slowly trailing her middle finger across his chest, from one shoulder to the other. He watched her hand curiously, waiting to see where she'd go next, but instead, she lifted his chin so he was looking straight ahead before she put both hands on his chest, running them thoroughly over his torso, up to his neck, down to his hips and round his back. All the while, Penn stood still against the wall, waiting patiently for some relief.

He shut his eyes for a split second, and before he knew it, Blake had dropped down to crotch-level and she was in no hurry navigating up and down each leg individually, stopping _just _before she got too close, but making sure she got close enough. Penn was dying to just touch her, but she made sure he couldn't with the handcuffs. She rose up to eye-level again and took him by the arm, walking him over and pushing him onto the bed.

She straddled him and fingered the buttons on his shirt. "Is this shirt expensive, sir?"

"No, ma'am."

"It's Officer Lively to you."

Blake had to look away as soon as she said it because she couldn't take herself seriously. They giggled briefly before she stopped him. "Good," she said before ripping his shirt open.

Penn moved his cuffed hands in an attempt to touch her, but she caught them and cuffed one of his wrists to the bedpost, realising she'd fucked up when he still had a free arm.

"You can trust me, Officer Lively." He smirked as he stared at her chest.

"Oh, I don't know about that." She got up and brought back a tie from his drawer, securing his other arm as she reassumed her position on top of him. Penn grunted as he tried to break free from his restraints and she smirked at his efforts.

She placed her cold hands back on his now bare chest, making him twitch before she drew a line all the way down the middle of his torso to his waistband- only slightly touching his skin. She repeated the same action, only this time with her lips and Penn's jeans were getting uncomfortably tight.

"Blake, please," he begged as she repeated it- going even slower this time.

She stopped mid-way down and raised an eyebrow at him.

"_Officer Lively…"_

She ignored him and brushed her lips all the way down to his zipper, resting her hand on his crotch.

Penn swallowed expectantly.

She teasingly gave him one last rub before _very _slowly unzipping his jeans and pulling them off- leaving his boxers on.

By this point, Penn was already rock hard and she'd barely touched him, but she wasn't finished yet. She lowered her mouth and softly kissed him through his boxers and very gently biting, driving him crazy.

"Oh my god," he breathed impatiently.

Blake grinned up at him and ran her hand over his erection one last time before freeing him of his boxers. She teased a little more before eventually taking him into her mouth and expertly going deeper, the way she knew he liked. Penn was pulling against his restraints, desperately wanting to touch her, but Blake wasn't having any of it. She kept going, bobbing slower and then speeding it up; swirling her tongue over the tip and then up and down. His breaths deepened and he was grunting to control himself.

"Please. Otherwise I'm gonna…"

Blake stopped, wanting to make it last a little longer for him. She hovered over him, pressing her lips against his. Penn tried to hold on a little longer- missing that taste; he hadn't kissed her in a few hours, and being this close to her and not being able to was killing him.

She finally gave him what he'd been waiting for and lowered herself onto him, slowly rocking back and forth. Penn moaned softly, craving to touch her. "Please, baby," he tugged at the cuffs and tie, wanting to be freed. She quickly untied him without protesting and took his face in her hands, kissing him cutely all over with her trademark smile. As soon as his hands were free, they travelled all over her body, pulling her closer to him. "Please take this off," he lifted the material of her outfit. "It's incredibly sexy, but I just wanna touch you."

Blake laughed shyly. "I was hoping you'd say that," she thankfully pulled it off and Penn was finally able to touch her wherever he wanted.

He paused for a second. "I'm really not gonna last very long now, thanks you to the show you put on," he laughed. "But you're beautiful, and I love you," he kissed her forehead and rolled her over so he was propped up over her.

She smiled shyly but she was glad she was now in the safety of his control. "I love you, too."

And sure enough, a few minutes later, Penn was spent, collapsing onto the mattress and pulling Blake into his side. They lay under the sheets together, and Blake watched Penn's chest move up and down while he stroked her hair. They were both thinking, but it was silent for a while.

"Best birthday ever. Thank you for today. It was unbelievable… _all _of it," he smiled at her and squashed his nose against hers.

"It was my pleasure, baby. I love you," she kissed his cheek.

"Always."


	10. Christmas Eve

**A/N: **** sorrryyy for taking like two months to update; just been ridiculously busy. Probably won't be another one for a little while either because I have exams. But anywhoo. Just a little Penn and Blake Christmas cuteness for the holidays. As always, dedicated to Kiki dee. Especially because it's a Christmas chapter. No smut in this chapter tho! And thank you for all the reviews :) I don't plan on stopping this fanfic for a long time; I'm fleshing it out a bit. There's still a lot of stuff to write about! So if I disappear for a bit, I will be back! (this chapter picks up where the last one ended)**

A well-rested Penn opened his eyes the next morning and glanced down at Blake who was curled up at his side. He watched her for a while - smiling at how sweet she looked. He remembered that night where he watched her sleeping in his hotel room, thinking that he'd never get his chance with her; it seemed like so long ago now. He found it hard to believe 'Officer Lively' from the night before was the same girl innocently sleeping next to him. He brushed her cheek gently with his thumb, but she was too far away to notice.

* * *

"Mmm... Morning," Blake mumbled into the pillow as her eyelashes fluttered. She reached out her hand to find his, but his side of the bed was empty. She opened her eyes and looked around sadly, wondering where Penn had gone, but she found a note on his pillow which read:

'_Good morning, angel._

_Don't worry; I haven't skipped out on you. I'll be back soon._

_I love you._

_P.s. I didn't have a rose to hand, so you'll have to make do with a biro one.'_

The note was signed off with a roughly sketched rose which he'd been going over and shading while she was asleep.

A smile crept onto Blake's face as she ran her finger over the dents the pen had made in the paper, and she let her her head fall back onto the pillow, waiting patiently for Penn to come back home.

Not ten minutes later, Penn came through the door, holding a bag of pain au chocolat's and two coffee cups.

"Non-fat cappuccino; extra foam; no sugar," he said as he handed her the cup and lent down to kiss her good morning.

"Hey," she kissed him back and clasped her hands around the coffee cup. "This is perfect, thank you. How do you even know how I take my cappuccino?"

"I know everything," he grinned and sat in bed with her. "Hot pain au chocolat?" He held the bag out.

Blake's bottom jaw dropped. "Do you even have to ask?"

"Though so," he laughed to himself. "Knock yourself out."

She indulged in a bite of the pastry, letting out the odd 'mmm'. "Your note was very sweet, by the way."

"Was just a note," he tried to laugh it off as he sipped his coffee.

"Oh come on. Stop tryna downplay your little gestures; I notice all of them. You put Gerard Butler to shame."

"Oh really?"

"Yes," she said defiantly. "P.S... I love you," she giggled.

"Oh God." Penn couldn't help but laugh with her. "I think that may have just overstepped the cheesy line."

"You know that's the biggest compliment your could ever give me," she made a cute face and rested her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and kissed her head, inhaling the smell of her hair.

"Have you changed your shampoo?"

"What?" she laughed at the randomness if his question. "Yeah, why? How do you know?"

"Smells different," he said almost sadly. He'd grown used to the old one.

"Bad different? You look like you've lost a child," her eyes were wide, waiting for a reply.

"Nah. I just liked the old one. This smells good, though," he smiled reassuringly.

"Speaking of children!" Blake squeaked with excitement, gripping onto his arm.

Penn's eyes widened before realizing she was talking about Robyn.

"I hope it's a girl,"she dreamed.

"Hey, what's wrong with a boy?"

"Umm..." she looked at him as if it were obvious. "It's not as fun to dress boys up. You can't put make-up on boys... Ok, so not consensually," she grinned slightly. "But you get the point."

"Woah, what would you do if you found out you were pregnant with a boy?"

"Well, I would probably cry for an hour or two...and then I'd be okay with it. But I'd have to make sure he turned out just like you, otherwise we'd just have to try again," she laughed, but she wasn't entirely joking.

"We?" Penn smiled a little.

She let out a little chuckle. "Did you think I was planning on dating you until I found my baby-daddy?"

"Well, I guess I've never really thought about it," he admitted.

"Don't worry, I'm not in a rush," she nudged him, aware that she may have freaked him out.

"We'll see what the future holds," he said cryptically, and kissed her temple.

* * *

A few weeks later, Blake accompanied her sister and Bart to her twelve-week ultrasound, just as Robyn promised she could. They were in the doctors office, and Blake was sat in the chair next to the bed, anxiously holding her sister's hand as the doctor applied the gel to her stomach. Bart hung back with the video camera, knowing his wife would be alright- plus, he'd fully experienced the first scan twice before. Blake hadn't stopped asking questions since they got in there, and Robyn couldn't get a word in edgeways to calm her nerves, even if she wanted to.

"So, we wanted to see if we could find the out the child's sex today, then?" The doctor asked as he moved the transducer around her stomach.

"Well, my husband and I don't mind, either way... But I think it's my sister who's most concerned about the sex."

"Alright, we'll see what we can do about finding that out for you," he laughed a little. "Let's just have a look at the heartbeat first." He pointed to the screen, talking them through everything on the sonogram and reassuring them that everything was perfectly healthy.

"Oh my God, is that her little feet?!" Blake had her hand covering her mouth, and the tears just kept coming.

"Certainly is. And that, right there, is a tiny little nose."

"Oh, wow... She's so perfect," Blake stared in awe.

"You sound pretty certain it's a girl," the doctor noticed.

"Maybe it's more wishful thinking. Can we find out now?"

"Sure. Let's have a look. It's still very early days, so we can't be 100% sure, but we're looking for, or rather _not _looking for a big white dot around here," he said as he pointed.

All four of them watched the screen closely, looking for any indication. Blake had practically stopped breathing altogether. She was sure she couldn't see anything.

"There's nothing there, right? It's a girl?!"

The doctor watched the three of them speculate for a while, and he looked on, amused, but he'd already spotted the dot. Blake's face dropped as soon as he broke the news to them, but Bart and Robyn were over the moon and shared a moment together as they looked at the screen. Blake was a little disappointed, but she congratulated them genuinely, and knew she'd love this nephew as much as she loved Kate and Baylen.

"Oh, well _that _was underwhelming," Blake teased her sister once they were out, earning her a slap on the back of the head. "Ow! I was _joking._ Christ."

"You've been _very _broody lately, Blake. May I remind you, you're only twenty..."

"Robyn, I'm pretty sure I was born broody. I'm trying to control myself!"

"Please try harder."

Blake gave her a blank stare.

"For Penn's sake. Poor guy's just turned twenty-one. That's the last thing he wants to have to contend with."

"Oh come on. It's not like I'm telling him I'm ready to have kids with him right now."

"So you've not mentioned children, then?" Robyn asked with a slight grin. She knew what her sister was like.

"No!" Blake quickly retorted.

... "Okay, maybe briefly, but I didn't say _now._"

Robyn just looked at her and started laughing. Bart tried to stay out of it.

"Robyn, it's not funny."

"Just try not to freak him out. Guys don't think like we do. _I _know you're not looking to get pregnant any time soon, but guys aren't so rational."

"Yeah, I guess so," she smiled a little.

* * *

It was December 1st- and for blake, that meant it was time for a tree and decorations. She'd recruited Penn to help her pick one out and now they were back at her place, making it look pretty. Penn was more of a last-minute kinda guy, but it was hard not to be enthused when your adorable girlfriend was so excited about it all. To Blake, Christmas meant family. It meant exchanging thoughtful gifts and spending quality time with your loved ones. And seeing as the latter had become a luxury since Gossip Girl started, she knew she had to make the most of every holiday, as for her, they were some of the few opportunities she had to make memories with them.

Penn hung back as he watched her get carried away with the tinsel; he didn't want to ruin her decorations- he knew how seriously she took it.

"Babe, what are you doing?"

"I didn't wanna get in your way. You should have seen the look of sheer concentration on your face."

"What are you talking about? This isn't just _my _tree! It doesn't matter what it looks like. What matters is that we made it together. Out of _love," _she pouted her lips cutely, waiting for a kiss. "In fact... Let's make it as ugly as possible," she smirked at her idea.

He returned her smirk. This was more his thing. "I reckon I could work with that."

They spent the next hour making the tree look as tasteless as possible, but they had the best time doing it. Just as soon as they'd finished, they fell back onto the sofa, curling up together under a blanket, and admiring their handiwork.

"Well, Babe, that really is something..." Penn laughed.

"Shhh, it's perfect, and I won't let anyone tell me otherwise." She looked up at him, resting her chin on his chest while she daydreamed.

"What you thinkin'?"

"Just how this is our first Christmas as a couple. Trying to think of ways to mark it. You know, start our own traditions."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"But _how..._" she tried to think while she kept annoyingly pushing his nose. Penn had grown used to her randomly poking, pulling and playing with different parts of his face, so much so that he just let her do it now without questioning it.

"What do you do on Christmas eve? Maybe we could spend that day together before going to our families houses for Christmas day?"

"You may be onto something, mister," she pointed at him. "Let's do it!"

"Perfect. I can't wait." He wrapped both his arms around her tightly, kissing her head. "And I was thinking, for presents this year... Let's not go too crazy. Set a limit. I don't want you shelling out like you did for my birthday; that was crazy. Very appreciated, but crazy."

"Okay. That's probably a good idea. It'll be more of a challenge with a limit, too. Let's see who can get the best/most thoughtful gift for...

"Fifty bucks?"

"Done."

"Game on, Lively." They both grinned at each other.

"Baby," she tapped his chest. "can you move up a tiny bit? I just need to shut my eyes for a while."

"Sure. Come here." He moved over slightly and pulled her into his side, allowing her to get comfortable when he heard some scratching.

Blake looked up. "Ugh, is that Penny?"

Penn peered over at the floor, to see Penny scratching at the bottom of the sofa, trying to get up. Penn just watched and started laughing.

"Penn, stop!" Blake slapped his arm. "Don't be mean. Help her up, otherwise she'll ruin the sofa."

"_Alright, _come here, curly." he put his hand underneath her and lifted her up onto the sofa with them, and they smothered her with attention. She picked her spot on Penn's stomach and curled up with her mama and Penn, as they both shut their eyes, dozing off.

* * *

The next twenty-three days were spent getting in the festive spirit; finding the best presents for their families, but also for each other. Penn took it incredibly seriously, because he knew how much Blake loved Christmas, and even though there wasn't much you could get for fifty bucks, he was going to make sure it wasn't just a token gift.

Christmas eve, morning, Penn arrived at Blake's apartment to pick her up for their day together; the first day of their tradition. He walked in, greeted her with a kiss and cuddle and put her wrapped gifts under her tree.

"Yours is under there, too. You wanna open them tonight?"

"Yeah, we'll open them together," he agreed. "Get your coat on; let's go."

"Okay, but baby, we have to be back before four, because Elf's on."

Penn chuckled to himself and shook his head. "Alright, alright, we'll have you back by four."

They walked hand in hand through the streets, blending into the festive hustle and bustle of the city as they enjoyed the magic of it all. Their next stop was the ice rink at the Rockefeller Center.

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but I think they beat us with the tree," Penn joked as he fastened his skates.

"Bigger isn't always better, Babe."

"Since _when_?"

"Well, you're living proof," she winked at him and disappeared onto the rink, leaving him behind.

"Hey!" he called after her. He got onto the rink and was skating by her side. "What is _that _supposed to mean?!"

"I'm joking," she giggled. "It was a joke. You left it wide open."

"You can't joke about things like that! Got me all self conscious about it now," he pouted.

She skated behind him and carefully held onto him around his waist. "_Nuuu, _you can't make fun of something if it's true; you can only make fun of it if it's not." She kissed the back of his neck and just held on while he took them around the rink, weaving in and out of the other tourists.

He took her hand so he was leading her for a while, before she went off on her own; confidently gliding around the rink. He watched her cautiously, making sure she was safe, but he was surprised by her grace. For such an awkward, clumsy girl, she had a pretty graceful way about her. She somehow looked even more beautiful as her smile beamed at him from across the rink, and her windswept hair blew behind her. Penn had never been a miserable guy, but in that moment, it felt as though he'd never fully experienced happiness before he started dating Blake.

* * *

"You said back before four! Quick; we missed the first five minutes." Blake jumped on the sofa and put the TV on. Penn played along with her frantic rush and grabbed as many snacks as he could before he joined her.

"Babe, how many times have you seen this?"

"It's not Christmas if you haven't watched Elf. Grinch," she made a face at him.

"Whatever makes you happy," he laughed a little and sat back, getting comfortable.

"You make me happy."

She smiled at him and rested her head back against his chest, giving her full attention to the movie.

* * *

"Okay, so I know it's not midnight yet, but you have a pre-present."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Mmhm. You hungry?" she grinned.

"For _your _cooking? Always. I'm excited! Perfect gift. What are you cooking?"

"Your favorite..."

"Since when can you can cook Indian food?!"

"Since I took a private class and practiced several times."

"Hang on, that's not fair. The class must have cost fifty in itself."

"Well I didn't buy _you _the class. Sit down and quit your whining."

Blake got to work on the cooking, casually chatting with Penn as she went, while also trying to follow her recipe to the t. It had to be perfect for him, and judging by Penn's reaction when he tasted it, she didn't do too badly. It wasn't a Rolex, but in some ways, this was better. He appreciated how much effort she'd gone to just to make sure she got it just how he liked it, and anything that filled Penn's stomach made him happy anyway.

"Babe, let's just do presents now; I can't wait 'til midnight." Penn reached for one of Blake's presents and handed it to her.

"Open it."

She took a look at it, trying to see if she had any idea what it was before she unwrapped it to find a blank CD in a case. "What's on this?" she looked confused.

"Look at the tracklist on the back..."

She took a look at the back and stared open-mouthed at what she saw. "Lost Without You... I'll Make Love To You... You Send Me...If I Ain't Got You..."

Penn finished her off, reading out the few other song titles; all songs that meant something to them as a couple. Songs that came with memories, from their first date, to their first time and everything inbetween.

"Penn, this is so sweet." Blake felt like she was about to cry, just thinking about how he'd remembered all these moments that she thought only she took note of. "Wait, why do they all say 'By Penn Badgley'?..."

He just smirked at her and this time she really did tear up. "No way... You did all that for me?"

"Of course I did," he smiled adoringly at her and pulled her into his arms, so she was sitting on his lap. "Enjoy it."

"I don't know what to say. This is incredible."

"Well, there's one more present!" he gave her the second present, which was larger than the last.

"Penn! This amazing!" She opened the box, taking out the digital photo-frame.

"I may have taken the liberty of going to though the pictures on your laptop and putting some on already."

"What!?" She switched it on and saw pictures of her nieces and nephews, her parents, her siblings, her friends and also some of she and Penn together. Her face lit up. "Thank you so much, baby. I honestly couldn't think of two better gifts." she kissed all over his cheek.

"I'm glad you like them. I really wanted to make you happy."

"You do that every day."

"I love you."

"I love you, too... My turn," she said as she tapped on his present that was sitting under her tree.

"Big box..." it was relatively light, so he shook it by his ear to try and figure out what it was, and he heard a rustle.

"Just open it!"

Penn did as he was told and started unwrapping the box. The box itself gave nothing away; it was just a standard cardboard box. "Why am I nervous, like something's gonna jump out...?"

"Would you just open it!"

He opened the box which was stuffed with at least a hundred, cut-out paper hearts and immediately smiled, imagining her sitting there, cutting them all out. He put his hand in, and dug around to find an envelope. "You couldn't just make this simple, could you?" he laughed.

"Sowwieeee..."

He opened it to find a weekend trip for two to Lake Tahoe, and he just stared at it in disbelief, partly because he knew it cost a lot more than fifty dollars. "Snowboarding?! Are you kidding me?! This is unreal, and you're a cheat!" he picked her up off his lap and threw her over his shoulder- holding her by her legs.

"Discount price!" she tried to defend herself as she giggled upside down.

"My ass!" he carried her to the bedroom and they both fell onto the bed before he attacked her sides with tickles as her punishment for breaking their rules.

He finally took mercy and fell onto his back, beside her- thoroughly exhausted.

"I thought we were sticking to the limit!" he felt bad that she'd spent so much.

"I know, but I was speaking with your mom and she told me you haven't been snowboarding for ages, and I know how much you love it. I just had to. Plus, it'll be a nice break for us after Christmas."

"It'll be amazing. I can't wait. I hear the cabins are pretty romantic," he smiled over at her.

"I heard that, too." She took his face in her hands and softly kissed his lips. "Merry Christmas, baby."

"Merry Christmas, Princess."


	11. Chapter 11

… *covers face* I'M SO SO SORRY IT'S BEEN ABOUT 67 YEARS SINCE I UPDATED. AND I'M REALLY SORRY THIS ISNT AN UPDATE… but basically, I thought I should let you guys know I'm still alive and I haven't given up with this fic, contrary to what Chiara (October8th2005) is telling people on her tumblr. Haha. In future, if you guys have any questions/requests etc, tweet me fransexyandfree or message me on my tumblr, DerenaTreeHill- I never really use it, but I'll reply if you message me on there too.

I just really haven't had any inspiration to write PB (blame Penn and his shitty attitude lately), and it doesn't help that I'm swamped with school work etc, but I promise to start writing, and have a chapter up soon. It probably won't be as long as the ones I normally write, but I just need to get back into writing it. In the meantime, read some other PB fics, or re-read! :P

Sorry for keeping you all waiting so long- hopefully you'll all still want to read when I finally update.

Also, I hope no one got their hopes up, thinking this was an update! :S

I'll be back soon ;)


	12. Cabin in the Snow

**AN: THIS IS FINALLY AN UPDATE! Wooooo. Just a short one because I felt bad for not having anything up for months. There will probably be a couple more short chapters up soonish, just to get myself back into the swing of writing. In case you forgot what happened- reread the last chapter. But this one picks up when they arrive in Lake Tahoe, early January 2008. Enjooooooooooooy omg im late for school. BYE**

They entered their snow-covered cabin, and Penn hurriedly dumped their bags by the door so he could take a proper tour.

"Woah, careful!" Blake cried as she stumbled over the bags Penn had carelessly dropped as they came in.

He quickly stopped to check she was okay, "I'm so sorry," he laughed. "I'm too excited."

"You big goofball." Blake kissed his cheek and then gave him a push from behind, to lead the way round the cabin. "Sell it to me."

Penn took a right and led Blake into the cosy living area. "Now, this is the perfect, homey living room. Beautiful dark oak wood beams; low ceilings; romantic fireplace; faux fur rugs; a very intimate space, which would be perfect for a young couple. Do you have a boyfriend, ma'am?"

"As a matter of fact, I do…" she smiled cutely at him. "I bet he'd love to curl up by the fireplace with me after a long day's snowboarding."

"I'm sure he would… _right _after he rustled you up a nice, romantic meal in the…" Penn quickly opened the closest door, hoping for the best.

"…In the _toilet_?" Blake raised an eyebrow at him, amused.

"You'll have to excuse me, Ms. Lively, I'm not completely familiar with this particular cabin," Penn put on an adorable, embarrassed face.

"Are you at least familiar with the bedroom?..." Blake smirked. "It's just that I'm _really _tired," she pouted.

Penn perked up. "Just a second," he held his finger up as he rushed away to locate the bedroom. "Don't move!" he hollered from the other room. Blake chuckled to herself as she stood there in the living room, leaning against the sofa, waiting for him. She took off her coat and put it over the arm of the sofa before she let her eyes wander in a daydream, admiring the architecture, and picturesque, winter view from the windows.

Penn reappeared, gesturing for her to follow him. "Right this way." He held the door open for her, and she entered the small, but cute bedroom. The lights were all off, and the blinds were almost completely shut- only a small amount of light getting through the gaps. The modest double bed in the middle of the room was calling out to Blake. It looked so comfortable, she couldn't wait any longer.

"Ok, I want my boyfriend back now, please," Blake put her arms around Penn's neck, and with that, he was out of character, pulling her close and placing his lips under her jaw. She let out a soft moan, exhausted from the journey. He kissed her again, this time the other side- slowly releasing the tension in her body with each kiss. And then without notice, he picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist to hold on. He was pretty sure he'd put his back out trying to lift her like that, but it seemed like the right (macho) thing to do at the time. He slowly walked her over to the bed, before carefully laying her down underneath him. They smiled into each other's kisses, and Blake put her hands up the back of Penn's jumper, while he played with her hair. It was nice being with Penn like this: peaceful. Back in the city, there was always _some _kind of background noise. But that's to be expected in the city that never sleeps. It's part of the New York charm that Blake loved so much. But here… it was as if it was just them. Alone. No distractions. Not even Penny. When she leaned into him, she was certain she could hear his heart beating.

Penn began slowly leaving kisses all the way down her arm, from her sculpted shoulders, to the tips of her fingers, and back up again on the other arm, until he found her lips again.

"Mmm…" she breathed into him. "I missed this," she said as she pulled his jumper and undershirt over his head.

He helped her and tossed it to the side. "Missed it? It's only been two days."

"I still missed it," she frowned adorably, and Penn couldn't help but let out a little laugh. She had a way of melting his heart, like no one else could. All it took was that face. He pasted a tender kiss on her forehead, and removed her cheesy Christmas jumper… but by the time the jumper had uncovered her face again, Blake was fast asleep beneath him. Her lips, curled up into a slight smile; her endless blond waves surrounding her as she drifted deeper into her dreamland, leaving Penn with nothing to do but watch over her and smile. It was hard to be frustrated at the angel laying in front of him. She was beautiful. She was perfect. She was his.


	13. I Want This To Last Forever

**A/N: ****HALLOOOOO. OK so this is dedicated to Kiki because it's 4am, and I stayed up writing this for her, and she's all schweisty and being cute. Anyway. Luh. On another note, I just wanna ask anyone who reads this to please respect the fact that I'm allowed my own opinion and entitled to ship who I want to ship, so if I choose to write a Blyan fanfic, I will do so and I don't appreciate you sending me your rude opinions. There are people who want to read that fanfic. If that isn't you, then don't read it! Sorry for the rant, this isn't aimed at al Plake shippers, but just had to clear that up. Thank you to anyone who still reads this, considering there's a billion other PB fanfics now and I'm terrible at updating. Enjoy! (btw i started this at 11pm and havent proofread at all, so sorry if it's terrible, but I needed to do something to make up for being an asshole to kiki today)**

"Get up, baby! People are already out on the slopes!" Blake was buzzing around the bedroom, getting ready for the day, while Penn was still sleeping. He reluctantly opened his eyes and stared blankly at his girlfriend, wondering how she had so much energy.

"Are you out of your mind? It's…" he leaned over to check the time on his phone. "NINE A.M. GET BACK IN BED, OH MY GOD."

Blake giggled and tried to pull the covers off him, but Penn tugged back harder, and pulled her forwards with them- just enough for her to be within arm's reach, so he could grab her and put her where he wanted her. "Get in here, _now._"

"_Noooooo,_" she protested. Slopes first. We're here for the snowboarding; we can do this at home whenever we want."

"Whenever I want?" he raised an eyebrow at Blake who was sitting on his lap, on top of the covers.

"_We… _Mutual decision. Now, get up, Big Boy," Blake teased as she got off the bed, taking the duvet with her.

"That… that's just mean."

* * *

"Not too tight?" Penn looked up and asked Blake after he'd finished fastening her boots to the board.

"Nope, that's good."

Penn let go of Blake to strap himself in.

"Penn!"

"What?!" he looked up at her worriedly.

"You can't just let go of me like that! What if I fall?!"

Penn burst into laughter, but got back up to carefully help her to the ground, so she could sit while he sorted his own board out. "Come on, it's not like you were gonna go far."

"There could have been a freak accident," she said dryly.

"…we're on the beginners slope," Penn laughed.

"Shuddup," Blake pouted at him.

"Aw. It's alright, I got you. Here," he stood opposite her, and held out both his hands for her to hold. "Just flex your knees a little… that's it. And lean…" Blake leant tentatively, and they began to slowly slide down the slope. She knew she was safe with Penn, but she was still gripping onto his hands for dear life. "It's alright. I gotcha. Relax, you're doing good," he smiled at her. "You ready for me to let go yet?"

"What?! No!" she panicked, holding onto him tighter, in case he tried to let go. Blake was already clumsy on her own two feet; she didn't need a board to make matters worse.

"Come on! You'll be fine," he teased. He had no intentions of letting her go, but she was adorable when she was scared, so he played it out a little more.

"I swear to God, Penn if you let go of me, I will deprive you for three weeks," she threatened, without even a hint of a joke in her tone.

Penn's eyes widened. "Okay, okay. Not letting go."

They finally made it to the bottom of the slope, and then went back down it a few more times before Blake eventually agreed to go on a more advanced slope, so Penn could have a little more fun.

"Uhm… I'm just gonna wait here."

"You can't just wait up here. I promise I'll hold you all the way down, and if you don't like it, you can wait at the bottom for me on the next run."

"_Buuuut._"

"But _nothin'. _Here, just like last time." He held his hands out, but this time, Blake just stared at him like he was crazy.

"There's no way in hell I'm going down there. That's a death wish."

"Oops, too late," He grinned as he grabbed her hands, and headed down the slope with her. Blake squealed all the way down, shutting her eyes- hoping to open them once she was safe and stationary at the bottom. Penn was thoroughly enjoying watching her be unnecessarily dramatic.

"You are such an ass!" she pushed him over, but he took her down with him.

"You _know _that was fun. Come on, I'd never let anything happen to you."

"Asshole!" she pounded his chest with her fists. Her heart was still racing, and this was helping her calm down again.

Penn let her do what she had to, and just smiled up at her, amused. "Are you done?"

"Yes," she frowned cutely and rolled onto her back. Penn got up swiftly, but Blake was still wriggling around on the floor, trying to get to her feet. He was tempted to just watch and see how long it took her, but he knew he was already treading on thin ice, so he held his hand out for her.

"I am done with this snowboarding rubbish. I'll stick to the skis for this afternoon. Or we can toboggan!" she suggested excitedly.

"Alright. That sounds like fun," he agreed. "Lunch first, though."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

* * *

After a long day out on the slopes, Penn and Blake finally retreated back to their cabin for a well-deserved rest. Blake was a little more confident on the skis, so Penn got to have a bit of free time to do his own thing with his board. It was nice being Blake's instructor for the morning, but it was also a little frustrating to finally be back on a board again, and not have that complete freedom he wanted, so he was glad he got to fit that in, too.

After dinner, they curled up on the couch together, watching the TV, with the fire glowing opposite them. The lounge was Blake's favourite room in the cabin. It was so romantic. The bedroom was cute and homey, and the kitchen was rustic and full of character, but the lounge was really the heart of the cabin. It was the crackling of the fire against the frosty white views, and all the different coloured wood against the simple, but comfy furniture. Every detail was perfect; even the rug on the floor. It was so perfectly out of place in the room. Blake had always appreciated mismatched décor. She found herself daydreaming as she smiled at nothing in particular. Blake wasn't normally the kind of girl to have fantasies, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't wish they could just switch the TV off and make love on the rug, in front of the fireplace.

"'sup?" Penn looked at her in his arms and saw that she was thinking about something. She hadn't made a comment about the TV programme they were watching in the last five minutes.

"Oh, nothing," she smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

"Lies."

"Shh, it's about to get good," she pointed at the TV.

"You haven't even been watching it!" he laughed. "Spill."

"_Noooo._"

"Please?"

"No, it's stupid."

"No such thing. What are you thinking?"

Blake smiled shyly and looked into his chest- not wanting to hold eye contact. "I was just thinking… how romantic it would be, to make love in front of the fireplace."

Penn smiled and moved her hair out of her face with the back of his hand. "You want to?"

Blake raised her eyebrows and looked up at him. "Really?..."

"Really."

He switched the TV off, and got off the couch, throwing some cushions down onto the rug before lying on his back, waiting for her. Blake waited a few seconds before joining him.

"How's this? You want any music?"

"No," she rested on his chest. "This is perfect." They closed their eyes and let their lips take over. It was so familiar. So right. They didn't have to think about it- it just happened. Blake was so relaxed, she wasn't even sure if she was still conscious. Her lips brushed down his neck, and she lifted his shirt over his head, to uncover that warm chest she'd spent so many nights against. Her hands trailed his lines, but her lips never left his. He lay beneath her, with a hand cupping the side of her face, and the other, up the back of her shirt, searching for the clasp which stood between him and her soft skin.

She removed her shirt for him, and he got rid of her bra- taking her full breasts in his hands. He ran his hands down her sides, outlining her curves until he got to her zip- not wasting any time undoing it. He wanted to feel her smooth skin. Those long, flawless legs he so desperately wanted to be wrapped around him, the way she always did- the way no one else could. He carefully cradled her onto her back, and slowly pulled her jeans off, kissing every inch of her legs as he travelled back up her body, teasingly skipping from her inner thighs to her neck, where he left lingering kisses.

Blake finally found her way to his zipper, unbuttoning his jeans and running her hands up his torso while he hovered over her, delicately nibbling on her ear, where he knew got her going- the same place it did him. Penn freed himself of his jeans, before he slid a hand slowly down Blake's stomach and into her underwear, but not yet giving her what she so badly wanted. He had a habit of making her wait. He was by no means a selfish lover, but he loved to tease her, and it drove her crazy. She tried to get him back sometimes, but she had much less willpower, so it never lasted long. Just the heat from his still hand cupping her made her wet, and he smiled cheekily to himself as he kissed her breasts, closing his mouth around her growing nipples, making her moan.

"Penn…"

He rested his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes as he whispered, "I love you."

"I love _you_."

She took him in her hands stroked him slowly as they kissed, feeling him harden. She couldn't wait any longer, and finally breathed those words he'd been waiting for: "Make love to me…"

He wasn't going to make her ask twice. He tossed his boxers to the side, and positioned himself over her.

"Oh my god…"

"What?..." he asked, confused.

"Penn… baby," Blake's eyes were fixed on the fire, making Penn too scared to look.

He eventually turned his head to see what was left of his boxers, burning in the fireplace, and they both laughed together. It was typical Penn.

"Way to kill the mood, Casanova," Blake giggled beneath him.

"Shh, where were we?" he asked as he silenced her with a kiss.

"Something about making love to me, I think…"

He smiled adoringly down at her before he gently eased into her, slowly moving in and out as if time had stood still for them. Blake's fingers wove their way through his hair while her other hand rested on his back, ensuring he stayed close. She gripped onto the rug as he pushed deeper into her- filling her; satisfying her; _loving _her. She wished she could freeze this moment and stay in it with him forever. She wondered if it could get any better. The flames illuminated their area of the now almost-pitch black room, as if only for them.

Penn repositioned onto his back, letting Blake take control and climb on top, so he could admire her with a better view. As if by design, the orange glow from the fire on her skin made it so she was all he could see in the darkness- just the way he wanted it. She rocked back and forth on him, gradually moving faster… but not too fast. She wanted this to last. She wanted this to last forever.

She placed her hands on his chest for support, and he held her hips, guiding her; moving with her. They remained in sync for what seemed like hours- their movements, their moans. In unison until the final release.

They lay there on the rug, their sweat-slicked bodies tangled together as they watched the fire burn out, and Penn reached over to take the blanket from couch and put it over them.

"I never did like those boxers," Blake thought out loud as she stared at the fireplace.

Penn laughed softly. "I guess it's just as well then."

"This was perfect, Penn…"

"All of this is perfect," he agreed, as he shut his eyes.

"Goodnight, baby," she whispered.

"'night beautiful."


End file.
